London – The world’s leading football championships should radically reduce the number of clubs in them so as to avoid a repeat of the tragic death of Cameroon international Marc-Vivien Foe, said FIFA supremo Sepp Blatter. The Swiss told a press conference in London that he would put his proposal to the world governing body’s congress in October in Doha, Qatar, and if accepted, take it to FIFA’s centenary congress in Paris in May 2004 for ratification.
Blatter acknowledged that if successful it would take time for the measures to be adopted but he added it was high time that club football accepted that players were not machines that could be asked to play relentlessly.
« We must do something otherwise we will never get off this carousel of too much football with no holidays for the players, injuries and even deaths, » said Blatter, who attended the state funeral of Foe in the Cameroon capital Yaounde on Monday.
« The ideal number in a league should be 16, have 30 league matches and then Cup matches and international club matches on top.
« I will bring this up in the congress in Doha where it can be discussed and then it shall be decided at the ordinary congress in May next year in Paris.
« If such a decision is taken by the congress I am sure everyone will abide by it, but it will not happen immediately, there needs to be time to adapt and it will take place step by step. »
Foe died after collapsing in the 72nd minute of his country’s Confederations Cup semi-final against Colombia in the French city of Lyon on June 26.
The cause of death for the 28-year-old Lyon midfielder, who spent last season on loan at English Premiership side Manchester City, was diagnosed as a rare heart problem.
Blatter’s proposal received a muted response from English football’s governing body, the Football Association (FA) – the Premier League has 20 teams in it at the moment.
« Clearly this is hypothetical and is not an issue of discussion at this time.
« However as a national association the English FA would always endeavour to abide by FIFA rules. »
