White Hat Sports Headlines

Friday, February 15, 2008

Overseas Premier League proposal a sinking ship.

"This will never happen - at least this will not happen as long as I am the president of FIFA," Sepp Blatter, president of FIFA said when asked about a proposal that would create a new set of 10 games that would be played across the world during the month of January. The proposal would go into effect in the 2010-2011 season, and it will be reviewed by the Football Association council this coming Thursday.

The council released a statement which stated that "the Football Association has listened carefully to the comments made by FIFA President Sepp Blatter regarding the Premier League's proposal for an international round of fixtures...this proposal has generated a high level of debate both domestically and with the international football family. While the Football Association has given full consideration to views expressed by all parties, we must also make our own position on this subject clear." The council went on to state that while they do have reservations about the proposal, they would need more information about it to make a final decision.

One of the main concerns is that England has put in a bid to host the 2018 World Cup, and there have been fears that this proposal will affect their bid in a negative way. The proposal would allow teams in the Premier League to each play an extra game overseas. The proposal has been agreed to in principal by the teams in the Premier League, but they are having trouble getting other countries or soccer's governing bodies to agree with their stance. The meeting next Thursday is the first time that the Football Association's board has been able to fully debate the proposal.

~Aaron Jackson

Photo courtesy of www.viewimages.com, quotes courtesy of www.espn.com.

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