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Caborn concerned over FIFA court case
England - 03 November, 2006
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If FIFA loses its court case with Belgian Charleroi, Sports Minister Richard Caborn said international football could suffer terrible consequences.
Charleroi, backed by the G14, is suing FIFA in a bid for payment for an injury to Abdelmajid Oulmers while playing for Morocco.
"In a decade, African teams won't be in the World Cup if the decision goes the wrong way," said Richard Caborn.
"The likes of Cameroon would not be able to afford to insure its players."
Oulmers was sidelined for eight months after being injured in a Morocco match against Burkina Faso in November 2004.
Charleroi is claiming it did not win the league that season due to Oulmers injury.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter and Charleroi chairman Abbas Bayat failed to come to an agreement at a meeting they had.
The club is taking the case to the European Court of Justice.
The G14 group represents 18 of Europe's most powerful clubs and is supporting Charleroi in its bid for compensation, as well as fighting a similar case for French Olympique Lyon.
FIFA has argued that it is up to the national associations to come to an agreement with the clubs over covering its players while they are on national duty.
"If you think a lot of the African countries can pay for their players to come back from Europe - from the Bundesliga or from the Premier League - to play for their national teams and get paid for doing it - it's not going to happen," said Caborn, while speaking at the inaugural FT Sport Industry Summit.
"It would have a profound effect on national sides. It undermines international football. The most famous team in this country is the England team. In Cameroon, it's the Cameroon national team.
"You have to make sure that no matter where they play in the world they are accessible to go back and play for their national team."
The G14 says FIFA could financially provide for insurance coverage that would compensate clubs for players who are injured while on international duty.
Charleroi, backed by the G14, is suing FIFA in a bid for payment for an injury to Abdelmajid Oulmers while playing for Morocco.
"In a decade, African teams won't be in the World Cup if the decision goes the wrong way," said Richard Caborn.
"The likes of Cameroon would not be able to afford to insure its players."
Oulmers was sidelined for eight months after being injured in a Morocco match against Burkina Faso in November 2004.
Charleroi is claiming it did not win the league that season due to Oulmers injury.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter and Charleroi chairman Abbas Bayat failed to come to an agreement at a meeting they had.
The club is taking the case to the European Court of Justice.
The G14 group represents 18 of Europe's most powerful clubs and is supporting Charleroi in its bid for compensation, as well as fighting a similar case for French Olympique Lyon.
FIFA has argued that it is up to the national associations to come to an agreement with the clubs over covering its players while they are on national duty.
"If you think a lot of the African countries can pay for their players to come back from Europe - from the Bundesliga or from the Premier League - to play for their national teams and get paid for doing it - it's not going to happen," said Caborn, while speaking at the inaugural FT Sport Industry Summit.
"It would have a profound effect on national sides. It undermines international football. The most famous team in this country is the England team. In Cameroon, it's the Cameroon national team.
"You have to make sure that no matter where they play in the world they are accessible to go back and play for their national team."
The G14 says FIFA could financially provide for insurance coverage that would compensate clubs for players who are injured while on international duty.
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