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Friday
February 15, 2008
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England's Odds To Host World Cup Could Be Jeopardized By EPL Plan

Blatter Not On Board
With EPL's Int'l Plans

FIFA President Sepp Blatter will not endorse the English Premier League's plan to schedule an int'l round of regular-season games and said that the proposal "could have a damaging effect on England's bid to stage the 2018 World Cup," according to James Ducker of the LONDON TIMES. Blatter said of the proposal, "This will never happen, at least as long as I am the president of FIFA. ... This does not take into consideration the fans of the clubs and it gives the impression that they (the clubs) just want to go on tour to make some money." Blatter also rejected EPL CEO Richard Scudamore's argument that FIFA "could not interfere if the clubs got the go-ahead from the [FA]." Blatter: "All the national associations receiving these clubs would have to sanction it also" (LONDON TIMES 2/15). More Blatter: "I will bring it to the attention of the executive committee, but you can be sure that they will reject such a misapplication of the (FIFA) statutes. I will ask the national associations not to accept such an initiative. This is definitely an abuse of association football." Blatter added if necessary, the FIFA Exec Committee would invoke a clause giving the organization the right to "prevent all methods or practices which might jeopardise the integrity of matches or competitions or give rise to the abuse of association football" (London TELEGRAPH, 2/15).

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