SWITZERLAND: UEFA SUBMIT PLANS TO HARMONISE CLUTTERED INTERNATIONAL SOCCER CALENDAR

Record ID: 646446

  • Title: SWITZERLAND: UEFA SUBMIT PLANS TO HARMONISE CLUTTERED INTERNATIONAL SOCCER CALENDAR
  • Date: 15th January 1999
  • Summary: ZURICH, SWITZERLAND (JANUARY 15, 1999) 1. EXTERIOR OF FIFA HEADQUARTERS 2. ZOOM TO FIFA FLAG 3. FIFA PRESIDENT SEPP BLATTER ARRIVES AT BUILDING 4. (SOUNDBITE)(ENGLISH) (SAME SHOT AS PREVIOUS) BLATTER SAYING BRIEFLY: "This is a consultative meeting, is not a decisive meeting, it's only a consultative meeting" 5. UEFA GENERAL SECRETARY GERHARD AIGNER ARRIVES 6. AIGNER AND FIFA SOCCER ADVISOR MICHEL PLATINI TALKING 7. CUTAWAY OCEANIA GENERAL SECRETARY JOSPEHINE KING SMILING AND TALKING 8. AIGNER COMING DOWN STAIRS 9. (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) AIGNER ASKED ABOUT PROPOSAL TO STAGE THE WORLD EVERY TWO YEARS SAYING: "Today the meeting was not to discuss this particular idea. We just listened to what the president explained in this idea and that was all 9. CUTAWAY REPORTERS 10. (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) AIGNER SAYING: "We are trying to get to harmonize the calendar, that means above all that the other confederations would have to adapt to the European fixed dates and they are giving indications that they are trying to do that" 11. CONCACAF GENERAL SECRETARY CHUCK BLAZER TALKING WITH BLATTER 12. (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) BLAZER SAYING: "The key element of this meeting is trying to come up with some form of universal schedule which are workable for clubs, for national associations, for confederations and for Fifa" 13. CUTAWAY CAMERAMAN 14. (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) BLAZER, TALKING ABOUT PROPOSED WORLD CUP EVERY TWO YEARS, SAYS: "When we came into office in 1990 we added a Confederations Cup for the purpose of seeing that development would occur in a two year cycle instead of a four. If this is an alternative methods to some of the things that we're doing it's worth studying and taking a look at it and I think that's what everybody is doing" 15. CUTAWAY REPORTER 16. (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) PETER VELAPPAN, GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE ASIAN CONFEDERATION SAYING: "We welcome ideas if they are in the interest of world football and the fans and the players and the associations and confederations are happy about it. And if this is the issue (World Cup every two years) we would give it careful consideration and if not there is another decision to be made" (HE SAYS "THANK YOU AND WALKS AWAY 17. BLATTER SMILES AND GETS INTO CAR 18. BLATTER'S CAR DRIVES AWAY Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 30th January 1999 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ZURICH, SWITZERLAND
  • Country: Switzerland
  • Reuters ID: LVADXBQ3MI3LNH77EI2QL6BKI79M
  • Story Text: European soccer's governing Uefa body submitted plans
    to harmonise the cluttered international soccer calendar but
    remained adamant that there is no room for a biennial World
    Cup.

    UEFA, which has led the opposition to FIFA president
    Sepp Blatter's plan to stage soccer's showcase event every
    other year, presented its own proposal to a meeting of general
    secretaries from the six continental federations at Fifa
    headquarters on Friday (January 15),
    in Zurich, Switzerland.

    The UEFA plan would co-ordinate an annual schedule of
    international dates, including all club competitions and
    friendlies, through to 2005.

    FIFA said it would co-ordinate the needs of the other five
    federations based on the European proposal for submission to
    the FIFA executive committee at their March meetings.

    But adding further congestion to the already crowded
    calendar, FIFA is going ahead with plans for the proposed
    world club competition, naming January or July 2000 -- a month
    after
    the European championship -- as the possible dates for the
    competition.

    This date will also be finalized at the executive
    committee meeting in March.

    "We are trying to harmonize the international calendar and
    that means that above all the other continental federations
    would have to adopt the European fixed dates," said UEFA
    general
    secretary Gerhard Aigner."They gave indications today that
    they are trying to do that."
    There was no indication, however, that UEFA was softening
    its opposition to a World Cup every two years.Aigner said
    that after nearly five hours of meetings that he had heard
    nothing
    new.

    "There was no discussion (of the World Cup).I have
    nothing to add to what we have already said," he said.

    Other federations, however, were more receptive to
    Blatter's plan.American Chuck Blazer, general secretary for
    CONCACAF said."The idea is obviously something worth looking
    at." And
    Asian confederation general secretary Peter Velappan added:
    "If the plan benefits football and the fans then we will
    support it."
    After an informal lunch at FIFA headquarters, Blatter left
    the meeting in an upbeat mood, believing his biennial World
    Cup proposal had cleared the first hurdle.

    "UEFA's reception was a little harsh, otherwise the idea
    was very well received," he said.

    "There have been some misunderstandings but we must throw
    them away and start again.

    "Mr Aigner was very positive today in discussions but Mr
    Aigner is not the only man in UEFA - there are 52
    federations.
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