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FIFA president Sepp Blatter said Wednesday that the football governing body is to reconsider Oceania's inclusion in the Club World Cup after another poor performance in this year's tournament.
"We have to make sure to protect the competition at the highest possible level," he told reporters here. "If you want to have a FIFA Club World Cup, we need to have professional clubs playing."
New Zealand's Waitakere United, who called themselves "semi-professionals," were demolished 3-1 by Iran's Sepahan in a preliminary play-off at the tournament of continental champions featuring AC Milan and Boca Juniors.
"This year it was evident that there is a difference of the level of competition and this is one matter that will be immediately discussed in the (FIFA) organising committee first and then by the FIFA executive committee."
Oceania teams have been seen as rank outsiders in world football, especially after Australia switched their allegiance to Asia after the 2006 World Cup.
"Definitely, since Australia left Oceania, we have a problem at least at the level of club competition," Blatter said.
In the inaugural 2005 Club World Cup, which merged the traditional Europe-South American Intercontinental Cup, Sydney FC lost narrowly 1-0 to Costa Rica's Deportivo Saprissa in their opening game.
Auckland City FC were defeated 2-0 by Egypt's El-Ahly last year.
And this was followed by Waitakere's defeat this year.
Under the current format, the southern continent is allocated only a play-off with a fifth Asian country for a berth in the Club World Cup as well as the World Cup of nations.
Waitakere coach Chris Milicich earlier said his players in the New Zealand league are "a lot of semi-professionals," including school teachers, corporate managers and builders, many of whom played professionally abroad earlier in their careers.
"We have to make sure to protect the competition at the highest possible level," he told reporters here. "If you want to have a FIFA Club World Cup, we need to have professional clubs playing."
New Zealand's Waitakere United, who called themselves "semi-professionals," were demolished 3-1 by Iran's Sepahan in a preliminary play-off at the tournament of continental champions featuring AC Milan and Boca Juniors.
"This year it was evident that there is a difference of the level of competition and this is one matter that will be immediately discussed in the (FIFA) organising committee first and then by the FIFA executive committee."
Oceania teams have been seen as rank outsiders in world football, especially after Australia switched their allegiance to Asia after the 2006 World Cup.
"Definitely, since Australia left Oceania, we have a problem at least at the level of club competition," Blatter said.
In the inaugural 2005 Club World Cup, which merged the traditional Europe-South American Intercontinental Cup, Sydney FC lost narrowly 1-0 to Costa Rica's Deportivo Saprissa in their opening game.
Auckland City FC were defeated 2-0 by Egypt's El-Ahly last year.
And this was followed by Waitakere's defeat this year.
Under the current format, the southern continent is allocated only a play-off with a fifth Asian country for a berth in the Club World Cup as well as the World Cup of nations.
Waitakere coach Chris Milicich earlier said his players in the New Zealand league are "a lot of semi-professionals," including school teachers, corporate managers and builders, many of whom played professionally abroad earlier in their careers.