Plea: Seed England to Curb Fan Violence

The Italian and British governments, concerned about the British fans’ reputation for violence, have put strong pressure on the international soccer federation to have England seeded for the World Cup, FIFA Secretary General Sepp Blatter said today.

If seeded, England could be sent to Cagliari, the capital of the island of Sardinia, where authorities believe it would be easier to control its fans, who have spread violence all over Europe during club or national team games.

“We have to listen to what the governments say and we cannot ignore their positions,” Blatter said. “FIFA’s main concern is to organize a good World Cup and to have it run as smooth and as quiet as possible.”

The logistics of getting to the island should help.

“English fans can travel to Sardinia only by boat or plane,” Luca di Montezemolo, general manager of the cup organizing committee, said. “It is very hard for them to get to Cagliari by car, bus or motorcycle, and this means they will not be able to move around freely once on the island.”

FIFA sources indicated that a majority of the 25-member commission that will designate the six seeded teams for the 1990 Cup are in favor of including England instead of Spain in the list.

The decision on seeding England has been a key issue for weeks and it reached a climax in Rome this week. The FIFA commission will have to name the six seeds on Thursday, two days before the draw for all 24 teams in next summer’s tournament.

The World Cup will be played in 12 Italian cities from June 8 to July 8.

“We have met with British and Italian government officials and with the organizers of the 1990 Cup,” Blatter said. “They all agree that if England were to play its three first-round games in Cagliari it would be easier to control the fans.

“We, too, at FIFA understand their point, and we acknowledge that security is a prime factor in soccer today. But it is not the only factor, and the commission will have to weigh all of them when it meets for a decision.”