Platini brands Premier League overseas games plan a joke
Sunday, 10 February 2008
LONDON, Feb 9(Reuters): UEFA president Michel Platini has attacked the English Premier League's plans to consider staging league matches overseas, describing the proposal as a joke.
"It's a strange and comical idea, the former France playmaker was quoted as saying in an interview with Saturday's Daily Telegraph. "I laughed because it will never be received by FIFA, by the fans and by the national associations.
"It's a nonsense idea... Soon you will have in England no English presidents (of clubs), you already have no English (national team) coach, you have no English players and maybe now you will have no clubs playing in England. It's a joke."
A new 'International Round' of Premier League fixtures, to be staged over one weekend in January in cities that bid for the host rights, would extend the Premier League season to 39 matches for each of the clubs from 38 by the 2010-11 season.
The plan, which all 20 clubs agreed to explore, has met a chorus of disapproval from fans and the British media and has received a mixed reception from club managers.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown told the BBC in an interview to be broadcast on Saturday the validity of the proposal depends on its benefit to supporters.
"It's a strange and comical idea, the former France playmaker was quoted as saying in an interview with Saturday's Daily Telegraph. "I laughed because it will never be received by FIFA, by the fans and by the national associations.
"It's a nonsense idea... Soon you will have in England no English presidents (of clubs), you already have no English (national team) coach, you have no English players and maybe now you will have no clubs playing in England. It's a joke."
A new 'International Round' of Premier League fixtures, to be staged over one weekend in January in cities that bid for the host rights, would extend the Premier League season to 39 matches for each of the clubs from 38 by the 2010-11 season.
The plan, which all 20 clubs agreed to explore, has met a chorus of disapproval from fans and the British media and has received a mixed reception from club managers.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown told the BBC in an interview to be broadcast on Saturday the validity of the proposal depends on its benefit to supporters.