SPAIN: FOOTBALL - Soccer under threat from outside interests, says FIFA President Sepp Blatter

FIFA president Joseph Blatter said on Tuesday (November 21) that the biggest threat facing football in the 21st century is the way in which the sport is being infiltrated by outside interests who have no desire to develop the game. The head of world football's governing body said that FIFA needed the help of governments to help police the way in which foreign investors were getting involved in European clubs and used English football as an example of the dangers facing the sport. "There exists a system in football at the moment that if we don't stop it will do serious damage to the game," Blatter told a news conference on Tuesday at the Bernabeu after being made an honorary member of Real Madrid. "There are a number of organisations that are not transparent, many of which are based in the Caribbean, the British Virgin Islands, Gibraltar and the Cayman Islands," he said. In warning of the dangers of outside interests buying into football, Blatter made a thinly veiled reference to clubs such as Chelsea, Manchester United and Portsmouth and then went on to single out Premiership side West Ham United. Blatter also said he was worried about the constant flow of players from Brazil and Argentina who were coming into Europe via Portugal and Spain. Blatter added that FIFA was deeply concerned at the way in which football was being used by politicians who put their own interests ahead of those of the sport. "We have to be very careful of people who are getting involved in football for political reasons ahead of football interests," he said. "That is a very delicate matter, we have to work all together and we need the help, specially of the judicial organisms in those countries. We also need the understanding of politicians but we always work to maintain the independence of football." As well as urging European sports ministers to address the issue of the control of the clubs, Blatter also asked them to study his plan to place a minimum limit of six home-grown players in every club side. In regards to the recent discussions about the use of goal-line technology, Blatter stressed that goal-line video equipment was the only type of technology that might be used to help referees make decisions, stressing instead the need for improved training for match officials. "More than the goal-line technology we should insist on a better training of referees and specially of the assistants that are near the (goal) line," he said. "Referees need to be professional and the linesmen must be specialists."

ITN Source | November 22, 2006

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