UEFA blasts Blatter's World Cup plans
Posted: Wednesday January 27, 1999 10:16 AM
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UEFA officials feel Blatter should not have introduced his plans in the media Laurence Griffiths/Allsport |
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (Reuters) -- UEFA fired another broadside
in the direction of FIFA president Sepp Blatter on Wednesday,
denouncing his plans to hold the World Cup every two years.
After formally rejecting the proposal on Tuesday at their
executive committee meeting in Cape Town, UEFA said on Wednesday
that it was unfortunate that Blatter had first revealed details
of his proposals in the media.
"The way the subject was introduced was not fortunate. It
put members of the FIFA executive committee in an embarrassing
situation," said UEFA general secretary Gerhard Aigner.
On Tuesday the UEFA committee, meeting in South Africa ahead
of the Meridian Cup youth tournament, agreed unanimously that
the proposal "had no positive elements for European football
nor football in general nor the World Cup."
"It is obvious that it would serve only to devalue the
World Cup," Aigner said.
UEFA and their African counterparts will discuss the Blatter
plan on Thursday but both said it would be an informal meeting
and no statement would be made after the meeting in Cape Town.
"We will be talking to each other about our position on
this project but we really don't know much about it because much
of it is just speculation," said Aigner.
The Confederation of African Football said they would
release a statement on their position after a meeting in Abidjan
on February 8.
"That is when we are going to discuss the matter at our
executive committee meeting," said secretary-general Mustapha
Fahmy.
UEFA are also to invite Blatter to a meeting to discuss his
proposal but no date has yet been set.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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