by NANNY RED » Sat Feb 09, 2008 10:42 am
LOL Platinis havin none of it.
Michel Platini slams Premier League's plan
By David Bond, Chief Sports Writer
Last Updated: 12:47am GMT 09/02/2008
Michel Platini, the Uefa president, yesterday led an international chorus of disapproval of the Premier League's plans to go globall by ridiculing the proposal to play 10 extra matches a season overseas as a "joke".
As world governing body Fifa announced the idea for the "international round" would be examined by their executive committee next month, Platini told The Daily Telegraph he believed it would never get the backing of the sport's international ruling bodies.
Point made: Michel Platini opposes the Premier League scheme
Although the Premier League insisted last night that the project required only the blessing of the Football Association and those federations eventually chosen to stage the fixtures, the opposition of Platini and Fifa president Sepp Blatter threatens to kill the scheme at birth.
It has also placed the League on a fresh collision course with the Uefa president, who has repeatedly attacked the English game for putting money and commercial opportunities before sporting interests.
"It's a strange and comical idea," the former France international said. "I was laughing. I laughed because it will never be received by Fifa, by the fans and by the national associations. It's a nonsense idea. It's like if I am president of Uefa and I put the house of Uefa in China.
"It's ironic. Soon you will have in England no English presidents, you already have no English coach, you have no English players and maybe now you will have no clubs playing in England. It's a joke."
tPlatini revealed that he had discussed the League's plans, approved by the 20 club chairmen at a meeting on Thursday, with Blatter in a telephone conversation yesterday morning. He said the two men agreed that exporting European club games to parts of the world where the game was trying to develop would only serve to stifle progress in those countries.
He added that the proposal, which could see English teams playing 10 matches across one January weekend in cities such as Sydney, Beijing and Los Angeles, risked eroding the identities of Premier League clubs.
"I am sorry, but the business of China needs to belong to the clubs of China," Platini said. "But [the Premier League] want to expand their sponsors, their TV rights. It's always for the same reason.
"You should always represent your fans. I don't know why you have to play in China, because your fans are in Liverpool or in Wigan or Portsmouth. If you belong to a team, you play for your team and your city.
"I had a phone call with Mr Blatter this morning and we share the same idea that it's the responsibility of the national associations, and I am sure they will never accept it because it's not good for football. I think the FA of England will oppose it. The beauty of football is you have some values, you have the teams, you have the fans, you represent something important and you are not a travelling circus. You are not a show, we are part of 100 years of history."
Platini's scathing attack came as Fifa said they would be looking closely at the idea when their executive committee meet on March 14 in Zurich. Under Articles 76 and 77 of the Fifa statutes, the game's governing body have the final say on international matches played in other territories.
But the Premier League argue it is beyond Fifa's jurisdiction, as their idea involves domestic fixtures being played internationally. In those circumstances, Fifa's rules require only the two national associations concerned to approve it.
Regardless of the Fifa rulebook, it is clear the political implications of the League's £80 million idea could be far more significant. With England bidding for the 2018 World Cup, the FA know the move could be damaging to their chances. The backlash in Asia, where there has been opposition in the past to pre-season tours involving English clubs, could also be crucial.
No appetite for Old Firm derbies abroad
Yesterday the head of the Japanese FA, Junji Ogura, said: "It sounds problematic. We are, in principle, opposed to having their Premier League games in Japan, as we have to protect our league and clubs."
Closer to home, Prime Minister Gordon Brown echoed Platini's views by insisting fans' interests must be put first. He said: "Let's see what the fans say about this. I think it's important to recognise that all the money has got to go back into the game, so that the fans get the benefit."
Premier League plan: The carbon cost
The average individual carbon footprint of supporters travelling from England to Sydney, Dubai, Beijing, New York and Los Angeles would be 1.96 tonnes of C02 emissions.
If 4,000 supporters from each club travelled to the matches, that could amount to a combined carbon footprint of around 156,000 tonnes of C02 emissions, although these figures would be significantly reduced by shared air travel.
Cost of flight and three nights in a 3/4 star hotel:
Beijing: Flight £670 and hotel £120.
Dubai: £913 and £230.
Los Angeles: £348 and £500.
New York: £285 and £250.
Sydney: £1,000 and £200.
HE WHO BETRAYS WILL ALWAYS WALK ALONE