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AP - FIFA has defended its role as the
guardian of world soccer and rejected calls to share control of the sport.
"Despite the indisputable respect that the world of football must show
national legislation, it must be extremely vigilant with regard to attempts
by governments - as well as supranational government organizations - to
control the most popular sport on earth," FIFA President Sepp Blatter said
in a statement.
FIFA, world soccer's governing body, has been in a long dispute with the
European Union. Brussels has said it would like to set new rules for
corporate governance in soccer, impose tougher rules on players' agents and
perhaps set a salary cap.
Blatter said the attempt to interfere in soccer matters was "a trend which
has become increasingly evident in recent years, especially in Europe."
An EU-backed report released in May said that financial scandals, corruption
and racism had left European soccer in a dire state and called on the
"direct involvement of political leaders" to put the continent's favorite
sport back on track.
The report called for stricter corporate governance in the wake of betting
and match-fixing scandals in Germany and Italy as well as financial
difficulties that affect clubs across Europe. It also recommended that a
rule on homegrown players should be reintroduced and said clubs must
continue to release players to national teams without compensation.
UEFA, European soccer's governing body, cooperated closely with the report.
Concrete proposals based on the report are expected by the end of the year.
For years, FIFA has been involved in a feud with the G14 group of the
richest European clubs. Blatter has described soccer as in danger of being
destroyed by wealthy club owners who pour "pornographic amounts of money"
into the game.
FIFA said Wednesday it also was concerned by other situations of government
interference in soccer in Algeria, Cambodia, Iran, Nigeria, Poland
and Portugal. A dispute with Greece has been resolved, it said.
FIFA said national associations have recommended that Kenya's soccer
federation be suspended "for failing to respect agreements that had been
signed and for recurrent problems in the association, in particular the
integrity of national competitions."
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