World Football

Blatter gives Peru till Monday to avoid international ban

16:24 GMT, Fri 21 Nov 2008
[-] Text [+]
 Email  |   Print  |   Digg This
 
FIFA President Sepp Blatter (R) sits beside former German national soccer captain and Bayern Munich President Franz Beckenbauer as they attend the International Football Arena (IFA) meeting at FIFA headquarters in Zurich November 10, 2008.  REUTERS/Christian Hartmann  (SWITZERLAND)

By Claudio Cerda

SANTIAGO, Nov 21 (Reuters) - FIFA president Sepp Blatter has given Peru until Monday to end a long-running feud between the football federation (FPF) and the government or face an immediate international ban.

"The problem in Peru is there is political intervention in the organisation of football," Blatter told a news conference in Chile.

"On Monday we at FIFA need to receive an official document in which the government ... and the football federation ... agree to solve the problem in a period of 10 days.

"If we do not have this document by Monday the Peruvian federation will be suspended immediately."

Peru has already been stripped of the right to host next year's South American under-20 championship because of the row in which the government's Institute of Sports (IPD) is refusing to recognise Manuel Burga as FPF president.

TEAM'S FAILINGS

The dispute has caused an outcry in the country where the public and media are already exasperated at the failings of the national team.

One of South America's strongest sides in the 1970s and early 1980s, Peru have not reached the World Cup finals since 1982 and are bottom of the 2010 qualifying group.

If Peru are suspended by world soccer's ruling body FIFA the national team will be kicked out of the World Cup qualifiers and their clubs will not be able to take part in the South American Libertadores Cup.

"They will be suspended from all international activities," said Blatter.

He added a FIFA delegation visited Peru one month ago but was not received by the government nor the football federation.

"This situation hurts me," said Blatter. "It always hurts when FIFA has to intervene because of political actions in the organisation of football."

Any person accessing the football section of this website is prohibited from any unauthorised re-production of any photographs and or text content other than for the purposes of viewing the same as part of the web site.   
9 Jul 20:15 Ã?BK 2 - 2 Valletta FC FT
9 Jul 19:45 Linfield 0 - 3 Randers FC FT
9 Jul 19:30 Polonia Warszawa 0 - 1 FK Buducnost Podgorica FT
9 Jul 19:30 Siroki Brijeg 0 - 1 Banants Yerevan FT
9 Jul 19:00 Llanelli 0 - 3 Moth'well FT
9 Jul 19:00 The New Saints 1 - 2 Fram FT
9 Jul 19:00 UN Kaerjeng 1 - 2 Anorthosis FT
9 Jul 19:00 Vllaznia Shkodër 1 - 1 Sligo Rovers FT

Most Popular articles

advertisement