FAI Blast FIFA President Sepp Blatter For Alleged Confidentiality Breach

Republic of Ireland's feud with FIFA chief rages on…

Dec 2, 2009 2:08:00 PM

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The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) have issued a strongly worded statement criticising FIFA president Sepp Blatter for his revelation that the Republic of Ireland requested they be included as a '33rd team' at next summer's World Cup finals.

The Irish insist that Blatter agreed to keep the contents of the meeting confidential, and have also insisted that the request was not a central or defining part of what was discussed at the meeting.

They have also highlighted the issues that were actually raised, and have condemned Blatter's lack of courtesy and respect. He was seen to join in with the laughter of the audience he was addressing when he revealed the Irish request to be included this week.

"The Football Association of Ireland acknowledges that the suggestion of an additional place at the World Cup is not a possibility and has requested yesterday that it will not be raised at today's FIFA executive committee meeting," the statement reads on the FAI's official website.

"The FAI has already clarified that this matter was peripheral, was not raised in any of its formal written submissions to FIFA, and was explored only fleetingly as part of a wide-ranging 90-minute discussion with that body.

"Regrettably, the matter appears to have been singled out in public by Mr Blatter despite his assurances that the meeting would remain private."

The statement goes on to highlight the issues discussed at the meeting. Particular attention is drawn to the fact the FIFA decided to seed the play-offs for the finals only weeks before the games were due to take place.

"Instead of diverting attention, we would prefer that Mr Blatter uses this opportunity to deal with the issues which have been raised formally for the benefit of football worldwide," it continues.

"1. Ensure that FIFA's rules cannot be changed mid-way through a tournament, for whatever reason, commercial or otherwise.

"2. Introduce video technology for matches at the highest level which has been resisted for too long and which would have avoided the error that led, in part, to today's meeting.

"3. Implement additional goal line assistant referees for all FIFA international matches.

"4. In future, introduce stronger sanctions for players involved in match defining breaches of the Laws of the Game.

"5. Issue a clear statement that FIFA does not condone breaches of the Laws of the Game. For a man in Mr Blatter's position to empathise with someone who scored a goal by cheating is inappropriate.

"The FAI raised these matters only so that the likelihood of such incidents recurring be reduced and now leaves their consideration in the hands of football's world governing body."

Zack Wilson, Goal.com UK

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