Blatter again talks of World Cup every two years

Ailing FIFA president Sepp Blatter is again talking of reviving his plan for a World Cup finals every two years.

"It may be advisable that the idea of the World Cup every second year shall not be longer closed in a safe where I have lost the combination," Blatter said yesterday in Japan.

"I should have a look during the next year if we should open again the safe door."

The recent financial crisis for FIFA instigated by the collapse of its marketing partner ISL means the financing of FIFA has come under scrutiny.

The world governing body relies on the World Cup finals every four years to finance its plans for the intervening period between finals and the problems faced by ISL

The plan was bitterly opposed by UEFA and the major European clubs but, as it remains the only viable cash generator for FIFA, Blatter wants to push through his plan to - in theory - double FIFA's money.

Blatter is fighting for survival in world football's top job after the bankruptcy of FIFA's marketing partner ISL and the cancellation of his pet project the World Club championships last month.

FIFA are now looking at evidence that a $40 million payment made by Brazilian television network O Globo was diverted into a secret bank account in Liechtenstein.

UEFA president Lennart Johansson will decide soon if they are to press for Blatter's removal in a vote of no confidence at an Extraordinary Congress in Buenos Aires on July 7th.

FIFA axed the second edition of its World Club tournament last month after the bankruptcy of its marketing partner ISL.

Blatter was heavily involved with ISL whose parent company ISMM folded last week with debts of £280 million. FIFA could end up with a £40 million bill for its share of failed television and marketing contracts of which the World Club tournament was one.

Blatter is seeking re-relection next year as FIFA president but if he loses the vote then the current World Club idea could be scrapped and revised.

FIFA have filed criminal charges against senior managers in its former marketing partner ISMM claiming millions were embezzled from World Cup television rights deals.

The charges will be investigated in the Swiss canton of Zug which declared ISMM bankrupt last month.

FIFA is now looking after all sponsorship for the finals itself and yesterday confirmed three new companies as major sponsors.

Avaya Inc agreed to sponsor the tournament in Japan and South Korea along with the Japanese electronics firm Toshiba Corp. and NTT DoCoMo Inc., a cell phone compnay in Japan.

FIFA, through its new subsidiary FIFA Marketing AG, took over marketing the tournament last month after the bankruptcy of ISMM Group, whose ISL Worldwide subsidiary was FIFA's marketing partner.

"The fact that FIFA Marketing, set up as a precautionary measure at the start of April, has already been able to successfully conclude these negotiations in such a short period of time proves that FIFA was correct to assume full control of all marketing matters" FIFA president Sepp Blatter said.

FIFA has 13 sponsors and wants two more. Adidas-Salomon AG, Anheuser Busch Cos. Inc., The Coca-Cola Co., Fuji Photo Film Co. Ltd., The Gillette Co., Hyundai Motor Co., Korea Telecom Corp., MasterCard International Inc., McDonalds Corp. and JVC are all pumping money into the 2002 World Cup finals.

Canada have confirmed that they want to host the 2014 finals.

"I have today sent a letter to FIFA President Sepp Blatter announcing our intention to bid for the rights to the next World Cup available to our Confederation," Canadian Soccer Association president Jim Fleming told a news conference.

"The association believes that a World Cup hosted by Canada would be a tremendous success. From a soccer viewpoint it would provide a long-term promotion and exposure to all aspects of the sport," he said.

An African nation - and probably South Africa - is due to host the 2010 World Cup, after which FIFA will start rotating the tournament around its member federations. Canada says the next in line will be CONCACAF, which groups countries in North and Central America as well as the Caribbean.

The association has identified 10 host cities -- Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax -- and says it would make a $23 million Canadian profit from a World Cup.

"When we had that meeting with Mr Blatter he was thrilled. He likes Canada, he knows exactly where we're coming from and he knows the impact. We have a kind of European way of doing things with a North American quality of life," Coderre said.