AFC accepts playoff format for added 2002 W. Cup berth

AFC accepts playoff format for added 2002 W. Cup berth

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (Reuters): The Asian Soccer Confederation
(AFC) grudgingly accepted a playoff format for an added berth in
the 2002 World Cup on Saturday, but remained at odds with FIFA,
the sports world governing body.

The AFC accepted a compromise proposal that will have it meet
Europe in a playoff for a fifth qualifying spot.

But in a last-minute effort to enhance its chances of securing
the coveted berth, it lobbied to meet a member of the weaker
Oceania Soccer Confederation (OSC) rather than a European
representative as originally agreed.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter tried to put a positive spin on
two days of intense executive board meetings saying, "there is
once again peace in the football family. The so-called crisis
between Asian football and FIFA is now history."

"There are no changes to the slots. Asia was very happy to
accept the half slot offered by Europe. Asia would prefer to play
the OSC and maybe that was a good idea but it was a better idea
to stand with the decision that was taken. Inside the Asian
delegation, there were some in favor and some against but we are
happy we came out with a good family that the family is united
again."

The mood inside the meeting, however, was not reported to be
that of one big happy family. All three Asian members of the FIFA
executive board voiced their displease. Relationships between the
two soccer bodies have been strained since the AFC walked out of
a FIFA congress in July and later threatened to boycott soccers'
showcase event unless its quota of places was increased.

"All three members present stood up and said they were not
happy," said FIFA spokesman Keith Cooper. But they accepted and
there was no discussion.

The Asian confederation also lost another battle when FIFA
announced that the 2002 World Cup will kick off on June 1 and not
in mid-May as co-host Japan and South Korea had hoped and end on
June 30.

Even though the tournament will start 10 days earlier than the
1998 World Cup in France, Japan and South Korean organizing
committees had been pushing for a mid-May kickoff to avoid the
late June and July rainy seasons.

UEFA, European soccer's governing body, had been vehemently
opposed to the plan and led the opposition, arguing that such a
schedule would disrupt the European soccer season, forcing many
countries to alter their domestic schedules.

"We cannot play in May," said UEFA general secretary Gerhard
Aigner, "we have a very crowded calendar that already creates
problems for the leagues, so there is not much space. One week
that's the maximum we can do."

Blatter also said that FIFA had moved closer to its goal of
creating a harmonized international calendar with 80 percent of
the dates for the qualifying rounds of the 2002 World Cup had
been coordinated .

"While there's still considerable work to be done," FIFA
general secretary Michel Zen-Ruffinen said he was confident that
the complete coordination between all continents for all
international dates can be accomplished by 2005.

"We have agreed on an international calendar with Europe at
the center and discussed on a one on one basis with every other
country in order to have their 20002 qualifying matches held at
the same time Europe is playing." said Zen-Ruffinen. "This is big
progress because we will have eliminated the problem with the
release of players."