German FA (DFB) President Reinhard Grindel "has played down talk of a 2018 World Cup boycott, amid ongoing frictions between Russia and the western world over the conflict in Syria." Tensions have risen over the past week after the U.S. suspended talks with Russia and "accused the Kremlin of being part of a Syrian Air Force operation in the bombing of the besieged city of Aleppo." Grindel "also cooled talks of a possible World Cup boycott." He said, "The sorrow of many innocent people in Aleppo and other Syrian cities is unbearable, and has to finally come to an end. Just like it is decisive there is a fast and binding peace solution for Syria, sport has to act in unifying and peacefully bringing together people beyond all political and religious borders. In this context, I do not think it makes sense to boycott the 2018 World Cup, even more so because it had no positive effect in Moscow 1980 [when the western world boycotted the Olympic Games]" (ESPN.com, 10/10).
Irish FA execs plan to hold a meeting to "seriously digest the comments" made by FIFA President Gianni Infantino after he appeared to "open a pathway" for the formation of an all-U.K. football side at the Olympic Games. The governing body of Northern Ireland football, along with its counterparts in Scotland and Wales, has "continually held the firm stance" that it rejects the idea of a united Team GB&NI side in an effort to "protect the identity and status of each national association with world football." Infantino insisted he would support an all-U.K. side at the Olympics. He said, "My view is certainly that I don't see this as being an issue" (BELFAST TELEGRAPH, 10/10).
