Blatter backs Kanoute, Sakho & Sissoko for ANC
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Blatter backs Kanoute, Sakho & Sissoko for ANC
Kanoute case is crystal clear, says Blatter
Reuters
Wednesday January 7, 2004 10:41 AM
LONDON, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Tottenham Hotspur striker Frederic Kanoute is likely to play for Mali in the African Nations Cup and there is nothing to stop him doing so once FIFA confirms he is eligible, says the organisation's president Sepp Blatter.
"His case should be crystal clear: there would be nothing to stop him playing for Mali, once the players' status committee has confirmed his eligibility, if that is what he wants to do," Blatter wrote in Wednesday's Financial Times newspaper.
FIFA's status committee was meeting later on Wednesday to discuss the cases of Kanoute, who could miss up to five matches for his struggling English premier league club, Lamine Sakho of Leeds United and Mohamed Sissoko of Spain's Valencia.
All three represented France as Under-21s but under new rules agreed at FIFA's congress in Doha in October and which came into force on January 1, they have applied to FIFA for a change of nationality as they have dual citizenship.
Kanoute and Sissoko have been called up by Mali, while Sakho is waiting to hear whether he is eligible to play for Senegal in the tournament in Tunisia which starts on January 24.
Spurs, who have slipped into the relegation zone, and their acting manager David Pleat have been especially upset at losing Kanoute who has scored a total of 12 goals this season. When he joined the club last August Kanoute had only ever represented France.
PERFECTLY IRRELEVANT
But Blatter said: "It is perfectly irrelevant, given new FIFA rules on the matter which came into effect this month, that Kanoute has in the past played in another country's colours. The point is he did not play for the A team."
"Club managers and coaches would be well advised not only to observe international rules, but to stop trying to obstruct players' legitimate rights.
"FIFA will always defend those rights, even when adopting such a stance makes us unpopular."
"Given the expanding role of African -- and increasingly also Asian -- players in English football, it is high time managers and coaches, shareholders and owners understood that the premier league is only one string in their players' bows."
Blatter also fired a shot across the bows of Europe's leading teams as he warmed to his theme of country before club.
"The opportunity to represent their country in a major tournament outweighs all honours a club league can offer. This is something that the ominous G-14, the grouping of the richest European clubs, should bear in mind."
Blatter said English premier league clubs had benefited greatly from the use of African players such as Nigeria's Jay-Jay Okocha (Bolton Wanderers) and Kanu (Arsenal) and Cameroon's Geremi (Chelsea).
"It cannot be acceptable to recruit such stars and then demand that they show disrespect to their countries if a tournament or international fixture clashes with premiership matches -- particularly if they are part of the international co-ordinated calendar."
Reuters
Wednesday January 7, 2004 10:41 AM
LONDON, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Tottenham Hotspur striker Frederic Kanoute is likely to play for Mali in the African Nations Cup and there is nothing to stop him doing so once FIFA confirms he is eligible, says the organisation's president Sepp Blatter.
"His case should be crystal clear: there would be nothing to stop him playing for Mali, once the players' status committee has confirmed his eligibility, if that is what he wants to do," Blatter wrote in Wednesday's Financial Times newspaper.
FIFA's status committee was meeting later on Wednesday to discuss the cases of Kanoute, who could miss up to five matches for his struggling English premier league club, Lamine Sakho of Leeds United and Mohamed Sissoko of Spain's Valencia.
All three represented France as Under-21s but under new rules agreed at FIFA's congress in Doha in October and which came into force on January 1, they have applied to FIFA for a change of nationality as they have dual citizenship.
Kanoute and Sissoko have been called up by Mali, while Sakho is waiting to hear whether he is eligible to play for Senegal in the tournament in Tunisia which starts on January 24.
Spurs, who have slipped into the relegation zone, and their acting manager David Pleat have been especially upset at losing Kanoute who has scored a total of 12 goals this season. When he joined the club last August Kanoute had only ever represented France.
PERFECTLY IRRELEVANT
But Blatter said: "It is perfectly irrelevant, given new FIFA rules on the matter which came into effect this month, that Kanoute has in the past played in another country's colours. The point is he did not play for the A team."
"Club managers and coaches would be well advised not only to observe international rules, but to stop trying to obstruct players' legitimate rights.
"FIFA will always defend those rights, even when adopting such a stance makes us unpopular."
"Given the expanding role of African -- and increasingly also Asian -- players in English football, it is high time managers and coaches, shareholders and owners understood that the premier league is only one string in their players' bows."
Blatter also fired a shot across the bows of Europe's leading teams as he warmed to his theme of country before club.
"The opportunity to represent their country in a major tournament outweighs all honours a club league can offer. This is something that the ominous G-14, the grouping of the richest European clubs, should bear in mind."
Blatter said English premier league clubs had benefited greatly from the use of African players such as Nigeria's Jay-Jay Okocha (Bolton Wanderers) and Kanu (Arsenal) and Cameroon's Geremi (Chelsea).
"It cannot be acceptable to recruit such stars and then demand that they show disrespect to their countries if a tournament or international fixture clashes with premiership matches -- particularly if they are part of the international co-ordinated calendar."