IOC, FIFA still at odds with regard to Olympic football
Acapulco (Mexico),Oct 13 (DPA) The future of Olympic football is still up in the air,
pending a meeting between IOC President Jacques Rogge and FIFA President Joseph
Blatter.
"We still have not discussed the issue with FIFA. We have not scheduled a meeting, but
we will schedule one in the future," Rogge said in an interview with Deutsche
Presse-Agentur (DPA) in the Mexican resort of Acapulco.
The presence of players aged over 23 in the Olympic football tournament is drawing the
International Olympic Committee (IOC) apart from football's ruling body FIFA, whose head
Blatter is in turn one of the 115 members of the IOC.
Blatter told DPA during the Beijing 2008 Games that his ideal Olympic football
tournament is one played exclusively by under-23 players, with no exceptions.
The current deal between FIFA and the IOC allows the presence of up to three players
older than 23. However, football clubs have made clear their displeasure to release
players aged over 23 for national Olympic duty.
"Mr. Blatter did not tell me that, so I could not comment on what Mr. Blatter said,"
Rogge said.
"It is what FIFA tells us that counts. We have not dealt with the case of football with
FIFA."
