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Qualifying system in question South America wants increase to five World Cup placesPosted: Monday December 09, 2002 5:06 PM
ASUNCION (Reuters) -- South American Football Confederation (CSF) president Nicolas Leoz claimed on Monday that his continent should have five guaranteed places at the World Cup finals rather than the current 4-1/2. Leoz said that while Africa and Asia had size and Europe had economic wealth, South America offered quality and an unmatched record at World Cups. South America was given four automatic places at the 2002 World Cup, while fifth-placed Uruguay played off against Oceania winners Australia. Soccer's world governing body FIFA, under pressure to increase places for Asia and provide a direct one for Oceania, has considered reducing the South American quota to four but Leoz wants more slots rather than less. "We think it should be five," he told Reuters, seemingly bemused at the idea that South America could lose a place to Oceania after Uruguay beat Australia in last year's playoff. "That's what I ask myself," he said. Heated argument Leoz remembered being involved in a heated argument last year with Issa Hayatou after the African Football Confederation (CAF) president suggested reducing the South American quota to three places. Hayatou was running for FIFA president at the time. "I had a very heated discussion with the African president. He wanted three for South America. I asked him why he was suggesting this. "It was very unpleasant," Leoz said. The 73-year-old Paraguayan, who has headed the CSF since 1986, pointed out that his continent had won more than half the World Cups, even though it could not hope to compete with Europe on economic terms. "We have won nine of the 17 World Cups, Europe has won eight," he said. Club supremacy "We have won more than 50 percent of the Intercontinental finals so we have supremacy at club and national team level." Leoz added that although Real Madrid beat Paraguay's Olimpia in last week's meeting of European and South American champions in Japan, Brazilians Roberto Carlos and Ronaldo and Argentine Esteban Cambiasso were among the Spanish club's key players. "Seventeen players [including the substitutes] on the pitch were South Americans," he said. "Quality is our business card. "We have fewer inhabitants but we still have the raw material...There is always a South American distinguishing himself at the World Cup. "We receive in television rights the same amount for one competition as UEFA receive for a match involving Real Madrid," he added. "We have a very small market -- but good football."
World Cup qualifying system to be reconsideredASUNCION (Reuters) -- South America is to reconsider its decision to hold a marathon World Cup qualifying competition in which the 10 countries play each other twice, the president of the continent's football confederation said Monday. "It seems there are wishes on the part of some countries to change the system of playing everyone against everyone over three years," South American Football Confederation (CSF) president Nicolas Leoz told Reuters. Directors had voted in September to use the round robin format pending approval from soccer's world governing body FIFA. The competition was due to begin in August with five rounds of matches being played next year, seven in 2004 and six more in 2005. The same system, played over a shorter period, was used in the qualifiers for the 1998 and 2002 World Cups amid European discontent. European clubs were outraged as their South American players made the transatlantic journey on an almost monthly basis for the best part of two seasons. Leoz said the matter would be discussed by the CSF's member countries at an Executive Committee meeting on Tuesday. However, he declined to predict the outcome, saying: "I dont want to give my opinion." CSF spokesman Nestor Benitez said Chile, Peru, Bolivia and Uruguay were all expected to present alternatives. He added that most of these were based on the principle of dividing the teams into two groups of five with the winners qualifying automatically for the World Cup. The other teams would then playoff for the remaining places. Similar systems were used in the qualifying competition for the 1994 tournament before the round robin system was introduced for the 1998 World Cup in France. Benitez said the possible turnaround followed the financial crisis, which has hit international football and led to a sharp drop in the money offered for television rights. "There are economic problems in football everywhere but in South America we feel the effects more crudely," said Benitez. Football across the continent has been hit by players' strikes as cash-hit clubs struggle to pay wages on time. Benitez said a similar problem had led to the drop in sponsorship money for the Libertadores Cup, South America's equivalent of the UEFA Champions League.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. |
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