ACTUALITE |
20.11.2001
Nigeria boss brands Arsenal `selfish`
Nigeria`s coach Jo Bonfrere has blasted Arsenal and Kanu as being "selfish" after the side began their Sydney Games campaign with a draw against Honduras.
The current Olympic champions drew 3-3 Pacific islanders and Bonfrere was still fuming at the decision to allow Arsenal to hold on to the country`s star striker.
"A team like Nigeria has no chance if Fifa are prepared to let the big clubs get away with flouting the rules," said Bonfrere.
"Kanu promised us he would play here and that was the case until the very last moment when Arsenal put pressure on him.
"They put him in a position where it was impossible for him to play for us.
"The club are selfish and won`t even look at the big picture. We were counting on Kanu."
Relaxed
The president of the International Olympic Committee, Juan Antonio Samaranch, has stated that he trying to change the rules so that the world`s best players could compete at the Games - without them having to compromise between club and country.
The Olympic chief said he has spoken with his football counterpart, Fifa boss Sepp Blatter, and agreed that the current age limit for Olympic football teams could be relaxed.
At present teams are allowed to field only three players above the age of 23 under rules agreed with Fifa, who are keen to preserve the importance of the World Cup.
"Football is very eager to protect its World Cup but I have spoken to Mr Blatter and his executive committee is ready to improve the quality of Olympic football," Samaranch said.
A number of top players are missing from Sydney after their domestic clubs refused to release them for the Games - including Arsenal`s Kanu.
Vocal supporter
"If the Olympics are held in July, Blatter told me that all the great players will compete," Samaranch added.
The chances of the world`s best players being available for the next Games in Athens 2004 is slim, however, as they begin in late August and will clash with the opening games in England`s Premiership as well as other top leagues.
Fifa president Blatter has long been an advocate of increasing the frequency of international football tournaments.
He has been a vocal supporter of a biennial World Cup. Raising the profile of the Olympic competition would help plug the four-year gap between tournaments.
Speaking about the Olympics in general, Samaranch, giving his traditional press conference at the end of the IOC Session at the start of the Games, said he was delighted by what he had seen so far in Sydney.
|
|
Hits: 1 | Source:BBC | |
|
|
|
|
| |