FIFA maintains it can enforce release rule for London Games
Source: Agencies |
April 4, 2012, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
FIFA'S compulsory rule that players under 23 must be released for the London Olympics faces a possible challenge from European clubs.
FIFA insisted on Monday that it is entitled within existing rules to compel the release of young players, despite losing a court ruling to Barcelona and two German clubs two days before the start of the 2008 Beijing Games tournament.
Citing its player status regulations, football's world governing body said that "a duty to release players exists on the basis of a special decision by the FIFA executive committee."
FIFA lawyers believe that clause empowered president Sepp Blatter to pass a compulsory Olympic release rule last Friday that affects only under-23 players.
However, the 200-member European Club Association said it was not consulted and will consider its response at a scheduled meeting next week.
"The ECA is very surprised by this decision. The Olympics was not supposed to be in the calendar, and now release is compulsory," the group said in a statement.
The disagreement, and potential rerun of a four-year legal case, stems from the Olympic tournament being left off FIFA's international match calendar, which tells clubs when to release players for national duty.
In August 2008, the Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed a "special decision" that FIFA said its emergency committee had made days before the Beijing kick off.
The court upheld an appeal involving Schalke, Werder Bremen and Barcelona, which initially blocked Lionel Messi from representing eventual gold medalist Argentina.
The Spanish club won the case but conceded to Messi's wish to play.
FIFA insisted on Monday that it is entitled within existing rules to compel the release of young players, despite losing a court ruling to Barcelona and two German clubs two days before the start of the 2008 Beijing Games tournament.
Citing its player status regulations, football's world governing body said that "a duty to release players exists on the basis of a special decision by the FIFA executive committee."
FIFA lawyers believe that clause empowered president Sepp Blatter to pass a compulsory Olympic release rule last Friday that affects only under-23 players.
However, the 200-member European Club Association said it was not consulted and will consider its response at a scheduled meeting next week.
"The ECA is very surprised by this decision. The Olympics was not supposed to be in the calendar, and now release is compulsory," the group said in a statement.
The disagreement, and potential rerun of a four-year legal case, stems from the Olympic tournament being left off FIFA's international match calendar, which tells clubs when to release players for national duty.
In August 2008, the Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed a "special decision" that FIFA said its emergency committee had made days before the Beijing kick off.
The court upheld an appeal involving Schalke, Werder Bremen and Barcelona, which initially blocked Lionel Messi from representing eventual gold medalist Argentina.
The Spanish club won the case but conceded to Messi's wish to play.
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