Still waffling
France remains undecided for Confederations Cup
Posted: Friday November 20, 1998 01:07 PM
PARIS, France (AP) -- Top French soccer officials failed to decide
whether to play in the controversial Confederations Cup, during a
meeting Friday aimed at resolving the muddle.
The world governing body FIFA moved the eight-nation event from
January 8-20 to July 28-August 8 to placate France, which withdrew
because of conflicts with the European club calendar.
French Football Federation (FFF) president Claude Simonet
accepted the changes. But the summer dates upet Noel Le Graet,
president of the French National League (LNF), which plans to begin
its 1999-2000 championship on July 28.
Simonet and Le Graet met with the FFF's governing general
council Friday, but failed to make a final decision on whether to
participate in the event, which will take place in Mexico.
"We are flattered to be invited to this competition, but the
dates still present a problem," Simonet told reporters after the
meeting. "We cannot create problems with the domestic calendar,
that is certain."
French officials still hope to persuade FIFA to bring forward
the dates of the Confederations Cup to the end of the current
season.
FIFA will meet to discuss the conflict December 4.
"We cannot turn down an invitation a second time," Simonet
said.
French officials point to the possibility of an expanded
Champions League and the uncertainty over the pre-season Intertoto
Cup. Both might mean that clubs play extra matches in the summer.
Adding to the scheduling congestion, officials want the
1999-2000 season to finish as early as possible because of UEFA's
Euro 2000 Championship - considered second in prestige only to the
World Cup, and far more important than the new Confederations Cup.
"I can't envisage starting the first division after July 28,"
Simonet said.
The July-August dates not only conflict with the French and
European league schedules, but also the United States' Major League
Soccer and the Pa American Games (July 23-August 8).
What's more, the dates force Mexico, Brazil and Bolivia - which
will compete in the Copa America between June 29 and July 18 - into
two major events in less than a month.
The underlying problem is not between FIFA and UEFA, former
soccer great Michel Platini, a member of FIFA's football committee,
told reporters.
"Rather, the battle is between the big clubs and federations.
Each wants to have more matches to earn more money."
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