Greece amends sports bill in an effort to lift FIFA ban

Greece submitted a revised sports bill to FIFA Thursday in an attempt at having an international football ban lifted.

"The minister has sent the amended bill to FIFA president Sepp Blatter this morning," a sports ministry official told Reuters.

The official refused to say whether FIFA's demands for the Greek football association's full autonomy were met in the revised document. He said it was up to FIFA to make the next move.

FIFA banned Greece Monday because it said the nation's proposed sports law was limiting the autonomy of the Greek Football Association and allowed for state interference in the domestic game.

The ban means the national side and club teams are not allowed to play any international friendly, competitive matches or any international club matches until the country conforms to FIFA and UEFA regulations.

The Greek Football Association had urged the minister to change the law immediately to allow Greek teams to start playing in European competitions as early as mid-July.

The government said Thursday it was doing everything possible to end the dispute. However, Sports Minister George Orfanos angered parliamentarians by debating the bill and sports officials by threatening to cut off subsidies to the Football Association if it wanted complete independence.

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