Premier League postpones FIFA visit on 39th-match issue

English Premier League officials won't be making a trip to see Sepp Blatter Feb. 28, delaying its pitch for a 39th match until after it does further studies.

Blatter came out vehemently opposed to the plan. The U.S. Federation said it would not stage matches in its territory without FIFA's blessing of the plan. FIFA officials did not object to delaying or postponing the meeting.

The league probably does not have a strong enough argument to convince FIFA that its plan has merit without denigrating the game, and will spend time rethinking what looked like a rash decision. Aside from FIFA and the U.S., federations in Australia and Japan, the Asian federation and UEFA all have come out with serious misgivings.

The original idea was to play a 39th league match for every league club at different overseas sites. The matches could be staggered to have TV-friendly start times.

But there are concerns that the league is going away from its home base. There is concern that the 39th match could cause an unfair advantage for some clubs and put others at a disadvantage if they have to play top-table clubs in their extra match.

"This project is still very much in its infancy, was always subject to development, clarification and wide consultation," read a statement from the league. "We remain disappointed that these facts and many others were lost when early opinions were formed by many without detailed knowledge.

"We sincerely believe that the Premier League has much to offer the development of the game internationally as witnessed by the many federations and leagues that currently seek our involvement and advice."

The Premier League says it is now willing to take time to develop its proposals further before seeking approval from the game's governing bodies.

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