Blatter sees no hitch for Australia
(eurosport.com)
Updated: 2005-06-14 15:11

FIFA president Sepp Blatter expects Australia's proposed move from the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to go through later this year. Blatter said there was nothing in the FIFA statutes to prevent such a shift, providing all parties were happy.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter expects Australia's proposed move from the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to go through later this year. Blatter said there was nothing in the FIFA statutes to prevent such a shift, providing all parties were happy. [AP]

"The final decision on this matter will be made at FIFA Congress in Marrakech on September 12," Blatter explained at a news conference on Monday.

"There cannot be any opposition because actually we have no provision in our statutes that would prevent such a change, if everyone is happy.

"The remaining Federations in Oceania are happy because they say they cannot develop with Australia there. On the other hand, Asia have said, 'Australia, please come and play with us'.

"If everyone is happy, I can't see Congress making an extraordinary decision and stopping it."

The existing rules would have to be changed, Blatter stressed, to ensure other national federations did not seek to change Confederations in search of a more lucrative market.

"We have to put in statutes hindering this," Blatter said.

"Otherwise, the U.S. can say tomorrow they have a big market and would prefer to play with Europe, or Mexico with South America, and we would be left with big countries against poor."

The AFC announced in March that it would allow Australia to join them but only if the move was backed by the OFC and the world governing body FIFA.

The Football Federation of Australia applied to the OFC for permission to leave and the proposal was unanimously supported at an OFC executive meeting in April.

Australia have long entertained thoughts of joining Asia but the move intensified after FIFA went back on its decision to award Oceania one direct entry to the 2006 World Cup.

Under the existing arrangement, the Oceania winner faces a play-off against a South American team. Asia has four direct qualifying spots and a play-off position.

Australia are the dominant force in the region but have qualified for the World Cup only once, in 1974.

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