NEWS
OTHER SPORTS
DIARY
PEOPLE
MATCH REPORTS
SLIDE SHOW
ARCHIVES

FIFA hopeful Asian berths crisis will be resolved

The 2002 World Cup will go ahead as planned in South Korea and Japan despite the crisis between the Asian body AFC and the ruling federation FIFA, a FIFA spokesman said.

''Relocating it (the World Cup) is no issue. The FIFA fully supports the World Cup in both countries,'' spokesman Andreas Herren said yesterday.

The crisis erupted last weekend when the entire Asian delegation from 43 countries walked out of the FIFA congress in Los Angeles in protest that they had been given too few berths at the 2002 climax.

Asia demand five places instead of previously four for the 32-team finals because Japan and South Korea are automatically qualified. The FIFA have offered them four-and-a-half, the half being a play-off with a European team, but the Asians have rejected this.

FIFA boss Joseph Blatter will hold talks with all regional confederations during the upcoming Confederations Cup in Mexico, but all are expected to be highly protective of their allocations.

The AFC, meanwhile, has yet to announce the date of an extraordinary meeting in which it plans to decide on a boycott of the qualifying session if their demand is not met.

German Federation (DFB) boss Egidius Braun on Wednesday told Deutsche Presse-Agentur the DFB was willing to mediate in the conflict.

Braun said he understood the Asians' anger, but added: ''I hope our Asian friends return (to negotiations) and that we find a fair solution.''

UNI