FIFA

World Cup dates set; Asian walkout averted

LAS VEGAS (Saturday, October 2, 1999) -- The 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea will be held between June 1 and June 30, with the opening match in South Korea and the final in Japan.

The announcement was made by FIFA president Sepp Blatter after a meeting of the organization's executive council here.

There has been concern that the end of the competition will run into Asia's rainy season. This year, for instance, there were several monsoons which struck the region and record flooding in late June.

"I don't know anyone who can predict the weather three years in advance," Blatter said. "We looked at starting earlier, perhaps the last week in May. But too many leagues still are playing. We look at starting a week or two later. That didn't work at all. So we will go June 1 to June 30."

Blatter also announced that the threatened walkout by the Asian Federation has been avoided. The Asian delegates were unhappy that they were not getting five guaranteed spots in the 2002 tournament. As hosts, Japan and South Korea are guaranteed spots. So the Asian Federation had demanded three more. They walked out of the FIFA Congress in Los Angeles during the Women's World Cup in protest and threatened to boycott the event.

"There is peace again in the FIFA family," Blatter announced. We have agreed on a compromise."

The compromise is that Asia will get four guaranteed berths and a playoff against the highest-ranked European non-qualifier for a fifth spot. The two highest placing national teams besides Japan and South Korea will earn entry into the World Cup field, with the third team facing the 15th-rated European nation.

Despite the Asian delegation’s agreement to FIFA terms, all is not happy within that contingent. "I agreed but that does not mean I am happy," said H.R.H. Sultan Shah, head of the Asian Football Confederation told reporters.

Asia wanted the playoff to be against a nation from the much weaker Oceania Federation, rather than Europe.

So this means that for World Cup 2002, 14 places will go to Europe (with France as defending champion guaranteed one of those), South America four, plus a playoff against Oceania; Oceania only the playoff against South America; Africa five places and North and Central America three spots.

In other important FIFA news announced today, the organization is moving slowly closer to a standardized international calendar. Blatter announced it is hoped that such a calendar, which will include scheduling of all international competitions within given time frames, will be accomplished by 2004.

As for his proposal for possibly holding the World Cup every two years, Blatter said "I have locked the idea in a safe and I have misplaced the combination. I will look for that combination in 2004 after we have our new calendar. Until then the idea is not dead, just in hiding."

Robert Wagman is a regular contributor to SoccerTimes and can be e-mailed at SoccerWag1@aol.com.