FIFA Panel Proposes World Cup Rotation
Meeting for the first time since its controversial vote in July when it awarded the 2006 World Cup to Germany, FIFA’s executive committee on Thursday said it strongly favors rotating soccer’s quadrennial world championship between six continents.
The 24-member panel, which in essence rules the sport worldwide, “expressed a clear opinion in favor of some form of rotating . . . among the six continental confederations, as from the year 2010,” a FIFA release stated.
That does not, however, mean that the issue is settled.
The executive committee’s “opinion” now goes to FIFA’s strategic study committee, which includes the presidents and general secretaries of the six confederations as well as FIFA’s president, Sepp Blatter, its senior vice-president, Julio Grondona, and its general secretary, Michel Zen Ruffinen, to hammer out details.
Whatever plan they arrive at will have to go to the 203-member FIFA Congress for a vote. Other rotation plans have been turned down at that level in the past, most recently in 1996.
“It is too early to comment on the various proposals which are being put forward,” Zen Ruffinen said Thursday after the executive committee meeting in Zurich, Switzerland.
One of the rotation ideas mentioned has been to not allow the same continent to host the World Cup more than once every 12 years. This plan would permit Europe, for example, to be the host continent more often than under a strict, six-continent rotation, which would leave Europe with a 24-year gap between tournaments.
The likelihood is that whatever system is decided upon, Africa will be the World Cup host continent in 2010, leaving its two losing candidates for 2006, South Africa and Morocco, to square off once again. Egypt, Nigeria and Ghana also would be probable candidates.
In other significant decisions Thursday, the executive committee:
* Rejected a request from the South African soccer federation to submit to an arbitration panel the July 6 decision to award the 2006 Cup to Germany.
Blatter called South Africa’s request “inappropriate,” also noting that it was not supported by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). South Africa lost the World Cup vote, 12-11, after New Zealand’s Charles Dempsey abstained.
* Urged Japan and South Korea, the co-hosts for the 2002 World Cup, to stage the FIFA Confederations Cup next June as a trial run for the World Cup.
The eight-nation event would include the two host nations, world champion France, South American champion Brazil, African champion Cameroon, CONCACAF champion Canada, Oceania champion Australia and defending champion Mexico.
“There was not a general agreement about this idea,” Zen Ruffinen said, pointing out that while South Korea favors holding the event, Japan is less enthusiastic.
* Confirmed that Spain will stage the second FIFA World Club Championship in the summer of 2001. The inaugural tournament was played in Brazil last year and the competition will be expanded from eight to 12 teams. Selection criteria has yet to be determined.
* Delayed a decision on whether Australia or China will be the host nation for the 2003 FIFA Women’s World Cup, saying it would name its choice at the same time it selects the host for the inaugural World Women’s Under-18 Championship, scheduled for 2002.
