Press Releases & Press Packs

25.03.03

SPORT

Blatter slams England v Australia friendly

In an exclusive interview given to Alan Hansen for a BBC ONE documentary, FIFA President Sepp Blatter slams the recent England v Australia friendly.

England: Club or Country? transmits on BBC ONE today (Tuesday 25 March 2003) at 10.35pm.

Sepp Blatter says the England v Australia friendly was:

"a farce" and that it should never have been played;

asks what has happened to the motherland of football;

says that never again will an international manager be able to play two different teams as FIFA will be introducing new regulations to prevent this;

that it was not correct that the public had to pay to watch the England v Australia game

The documentary also features interviews with David Dein, Alan Shearer, David Davies, Gareth Southgate, Jamie Rednapp and Ronaldo.

Notes to Editors

The full text of the interview is detailed below.

All quotes used from the transcript must be used in context of the documentary and credit the BBC.

The documentary is available on request to members of the press.

Transcript of the interview

Blatter - talking about England v Australia

Sepp Blatter:
We will intervene here. It's a farce, it's a farce. People are asking what, what's the matter with the motherland of football.

Alan Hansen:
If you are the manager of Everton football club and you've got a chance of getting into the Champions League. Would you let him go away for three or four weeks, when he might be the difference of qualification of not?

Sepp Blatter:
I would let him go. Because I love football and I love the footballers.

Alan Hansen:
That's not being realistic though, that's not being realistic.

Sepp Blatter:
If a coach he does not see that it's better for such a youngster to be in a tournament, where during three weeks he has another atmosphere, he will meet with other teams from other continents, and he can not realise that is the value, not only the technical value but also the human value. Let him go and let him play.

Alan Hansen:
Should you not intervene and say 'right he, he goes'?

Sepp Blatter:
No, no but we will, we will make, we intervene but we, if the FA don't put him on the list. We can do nothing for that. We can only do something if the FA would put him on the list and the club will not release him, then we would intervene.

Alan Hansen:
The recent international friendly England against Australia. Basically the whole thing was a mess, what did you think of that?

Sepp Blatter:
I think it's wrong, then you better don't play. This is a matter I will bring to the attention of the international board now, it's a farce, it's a farce.

That's not correct, that's not correct for the opponent, but it's definitely not correct for the public. You in my public you pay, the public they pay for a match between England, the best team against Australia. And the second half you have another team, it's not correct.

If he is not able to impose that he will play with the best players during the 90 minutes or let's say then he makes some substitutions, but not as many as he did, then he should not play the match.

And when something is done in England, don't forget that in football England is still, let's say the quality of everything.

When you play, when you speak about football is England, the FA. But still that's the only association, they don't need a name.

You don't say the Scottish FA, or Irish FA or the Swiss FA, or Federation Francais no, it is FA. The FA is, it's London, it's England. People are asking what's the matter with the motherland of football.

Alan Hansen:
So the next time there's an international friendly, and it's right in the middle of the Champions League, you're saying there won't be a problem, you'll still have exactly the same problem, next time round.

Sepp Blatter:
No but then, but then the FA should not organise such a match and we will intervene here. It will not be possible in future to play a friendly with 45 minutes with one team and 45 minutes with the other team it will not be possible.

Alan Hansen:
So you're gonna make that a regulation.

Sepp Blatter:
This will go now to the international football association board and it will be implemented by FIFA until the end of March yeah.

Alan Hansen:
And do you think that the FA let Sven-Goran Eriksson and Wayne Rooney down?

Sepp Blatter:
Yes they should exercise the power they have been given by their constitution, the FA constitution. And they should use this power, not as, not abuse but use it to impose that in English football we can avoid such situations we have just described.
I think this is not realistic.

Then we should take only the players that want to go to the World Cup but then ask to the players if they want to go to the World Cup or not.

Alan Hansen:
Yeah but the fact of the matter is right they all want to go to the World Cup but Arsenal are still paying the wages of the players when they are at the World Cup.

Sepp Blatter:
Yeah, because they are, they are in for Arsenal or whatever, whatever big team you have they are for the whole year in this, in this club. And they have agreed or the club playing for the league, the league being an association they have agreed that shall be duties of the for the national team. So you accept these duties or not.

What we have to do is to find a solution that the interests of the national teams are respecting the interests of the clubs. And also the clubs they shall respect the interests and the aspirations of national teams.

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