FIFA President Sepp Blatter told CONCACAF's congress that their region "should be given an extra automatic qualification spot at the World Cup," according to REUTERS. Blatter said, "If the World Cup will stay at 32 teams, then CONCACAF should have four teams." CONCACAF currently has "three automatic places" (REUTERS, 4/16). REUTERS' Simon Evans reported Blatter "will have to work" for the votes of the 25 Caribbean FAs after the region's union head said that they would "break with their normal practice of voting as a block." Carribbean Football Union President Gordon Derrick, whose union "has 25 votes in FIFA's presidential election" next month, said that there would be "no mandate from the body, long a Blatter stronghold, to vote for any one candidate." While Derrick "gave no clue as to where the Caribbean's support may go" he said that the block vote system, used by former CONCACAF President Jack Warner, was a "thing of the past." Derrick: "Those days are long gone. If there is a democracy, and we believe in a democracy, then that means that everyone who is nominated has a chance to participate and whoever votes, votes, whichever way" (REUTERS, 4/15).
