Pele, Beckenbauer, Charlton miss FIFA meeting
Reuters - Tuesday 10 May 2011, 14:27
ZURICH - The FIFA task force aimed at
finding ways of making football more exciting for the 2014 World
Cup got off to an inauspicious start on Tuesday when Pele, Bobby
Charlton and Franz Beckenbauer all missed the first meeting.
FIFA said Beckenbauer, the task force's chairman, was
suffering from health problems and England World Cup winner
Charlton told the ruling body a week ago he would not be able to
take part. Pele had a private commitment.
"It was unfortunate they could not be here but football was
well represented," FIFA president Sepp Blatter told reporters.
"Pele is the king and the king has his own agenda.
Former Zambia forward Kalusha Bwalya, who chaired the
meeting in Beckenbauer's absence, said the committee had agreed
to propose allowing a fourth substitution during extra time.
It will also suggest an end to the so-called triple
punishment situation when a player denies the opposing team a
goalscoring chance in the penalty area.
Under present rules, the player concedes a penalty, gets
sent off and misses the next game through suspension but the
task force suggested this punishment should be reduced to just a
penalty.
Blatter said FIFA would also look at ways of forcing players
to improve their behaviour on the pitch as well as on the
sidelines.
"A lot was said about the way the players behaved at the
last World Cup final but if you look at the team benches, one
has to say this was not the best public relations exercise for
discipline and respect," he said.
The 22-man group was formed as a response by FIFA to the
drab, defensive football and controversial refereeing decisions
which marred last year's World Cup in South Africa.
Other proposals included the changing the rule over
interfering with play at offside decisions and there was a
general agreement on the need to professionalise referees.
Former France international Christian Karembeu, Spain's
Fernando Hierro and former Brazil captain Cafu are also part of
the group.
It is due to produce a report for FIFA's annual Congress
next year.