Blatter wants Spain to rescind FA election order

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has issued warnings in the past for governments not to interfere in the elections of football association leaders. Now, Blatter is threatening an international ban on Spain if it tampers with the FA elections in place.

National teams and Spanish clubs could be left out of major competitions. Blatter was irked by the government order that revokes a new ministerial order that forced the country's non-Olympic sporting federations to hold elections before the 2008 Olympic Games.

"Either the Spanish government wants football to be played in Spain only, without international games, or it will accept the international rules and the Spanish national team will be able to take part in international competition," Blatter said. "It would be tough, but it would only take six hours to call a FIFA emergency committee meeting to hear and decide upon Spain's exclusion.

"Spain would not be able to play at EURO 2008, and their clubs wouldn't continue in the Champions League or UEFA Cup.

"If the Spanish government continue to interfere in football matters through the Ministry of Sport, they have to realise that their clubs and national team will be banned from international competitions."

Blatter has set a precedent in these matters in the past, dealing out warnings to Portugal and Greece, which was banned for 48 hours in 2006.

Sports minister Jaime Lissavetzky is confident that Spain will avoid FIFA suspension.

"I respect everyone's opinion but I defend Spain's sovereignty, her laws and the principle of democratic and transparent elections in all the federations," Lissavetzky told Spanish newspaper AS. "Spain's rules governing elections are compatible with FIFA's. "I am convinced Spain will play in the European Championship because it earned it on the field."

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.