FIFA unhappy with Club World Cup crowds
Reuters - Thursday 17 December 2009, 12:39
ABU DHABI - The jubilation by a
near-capacity crowd over Lionel Messi's appearance in
Barcelona's semi-final win over Atlante of Mexico showed that
Emirates football fans supported the Club World Cup, organisers
said on Thursday.
However, crowds were poor in earlier matches after UAE title
holders Al Ahli were eliminated 2-0 by Oceania champions
Auckland City in the opening match, and officials criticised the
local club for a lack of preparation.
European champions Barcelona, like South America's
Estudiantes, had a bye into the semi-finals where they beat
CONCACAF champions Atlante 3-1 in front of a 40,952 Zayed Sports
City crowd on Wednesday.
The previous best attendance, officially 22,626, was for
Estudiantes' 2-1 win over eight-man Pohang Steelers of South
Korea at Mohammed bin Zayed stadium on Tuesday, helped by the
remarkable presence of some 5,000 fans of the Argentine team
hoping to see them crowned world champions for the second time.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter told a news conference poor
attendance at the quarter-finals, when Atlante beat Auckland and
Pohang overcame DR Congo's TP Mazembe, was a matter the local
organisers would have to address for next year.
UAE Football Association president Sheikh Mohammed Khalfan
al-Rumaithi said it was an issue he took very seriously.
"We had dreamt of a better participation by Al Ahli. They
didn't plan well for the tournament. We urge whoever wins this
year's (UAE) league to prepare properly," he said.
He said they would take lessons from Al Ahli's failure in
the "hugely prestigious tournament".
With Barcelona and Estudiantes reaching the final, the
status quo of a Europe v South America clash was maintained,
sparking criticism of the tournament format.
NO CHANGE
However, FIFA would make no changes in the foreseeable
future, said Chuck Blazer, head of FIFA's tournament organising
committee.
He said FIFA had managed to adapt the old meeting of
European and South American champions for the Intercontinental
Cup while ensuring that clubs lost only one weekend of domestic
league competition.
"It will continue like this. It was something we arrived at
by agreement, enabling other confederations to take part,"
Blazer said.
Pohang's Brazilian coach Sergio Farias complained that
Italian Roberto Rosetti, who sent off three of his players
against Estudiantes, had favoured the Argentine side. Had
Estudiantes come into the tournament earlier they might not have
reached the final, he said.
Blatter pointed to a large difference in the actual playing
time of the two semi-finals - 48 minutes when Estudiantes beat
Pohang and 61 in Barcelona's victory over Atlante.
"This is entertaining football," he said of Barcelona's
match with Atlante.
"We must have teams here who want to play football," he
added, implying that Pohang had been more intent on stopping the
opposition.