MUNICH, Germany - FIFA president Sepp Blatter says soccer's governing body
must develop a way to cover the insurance costs of players who get injured while
on national team duty.
England's David Beckham in action against
Jamaica during their international friendly soccer match at Old Trafford
Stadium, Manchester, England, Saturday June 3, 2006.[AP]
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The World Cup provides an opportunity for Blatter to take a peek at what is
essentially a test program.
"We have to find a mechanism that will ensure that all players, when playing
in international competitions, that they have adequate insurance," Blatter said.
"In principle, our regulations say the club is responsible for the insurance.
But (World Cup) regulations also say the national team is responsible to
(guarantee) the player is decently insured.
"But in 2006, we have this special insurance pool that if a player is
injured, and his insurance costs are not covered, the costs will be covered by
this special fund."
The proposal that will go before the FIFA Congress on Wednesday and Thursday.
It's devised to counter a lawsuit by Belgian club RSC Charleroi which charges
that FIFA's rules requiring the release of players for national teams are
illegal. Charleroi claims $795,000 for damages incurred when Morocco midfielder
Abdelmajid Oulmers was injured in 2004 while playing in a friendly match for his
country.
The World Cup insurance pool, amounting to $12.5 million, or 5 percent of the
tournament's prize pool, was established in 2004, and now FIFA is looking to
expand the project.
That is unlikely to appease the group of major European clubs — including
Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Juventus — known as the G-14. That group
already has demanded $1.1 billion in costs for releasing players for national
team duty over the past 10 years.
A Belgian court rejected that claim last month, but deferred a decision on
Charleroi's suit — which was tied to the G-14's case — to the European Court of
Justice. It was the European Court that struck down FIFA's rules on transfers 11
years ago, causing a massive change in the sport.
"We are not waiting until the court decides," Blatter said. "Depending on the
speed of the court, that can take a long time. We have a problem and we have to
solve the problem."
While FIFA rejects the clubs' demand for direct payment, it also acknowledges
that even coming up with a formula on injury claims will be complicated.
"We will have to find out, 'Was he already injured? What is his salary? What
is really the loss?'" FIFA general secretary Urs Linsi said. "So it's not so
easy with the insurance.
"Then there are so many different insurances in place, the clubs, the
national associations. With this World Cup fund, we will have experience."
The G-14 reportedly is considering recommending the World Cup be played every
two years, instead of every four. Such a proposal would abolish qualifying for
the tournament and for continental championships, while establishing several
tiers in the continental competitions. The worst teams from the upper tier would
be dropped down to the lower tier, and the best teams from that level would be
promoted every two years.
Blatter proposed a biennial World Cup in 1999 before abandoning the idea amid
resistance from Europe. Linsi seemed unmoved by the new suggestion.
"We have a calendar every four years," Linsi said. "We have to make sure
there is not too much football."
