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Warner plots overhaul of world football
AP
Thursday, October 08, 2009
LONDON, England (AP) - FIFA vice-president Jack Warner called for the implementation of a salary cap and the widespread introduction of technology as he plotted an overhaul of football yesterday.
FIFA vice-president, Trinidadian Jack Warner, addresses the Leaders in Football Conference in London yesterday.
Addressing world football's leading administrators in London, the CONCACAF president also openly questioned whether the number of players on the field should be reduced to 10 and the penalty area made smaller.
"There is no reason that the game should remain static for another 500 years," Warner said. "As leaders we should allow the game to develop and evolve."
Warner railed against the influence of European "megaclubs" amassing large debts, warning that unless new regulations are embraced the current dominance in Europe - particularly in Spain and England - would be perpetuated.
"A salary cap should be introduced to allow for a more level playing field among clubs," Warner said. "Otherwise, smaller clubs will never be able to compete with high-spending ones. Never.
"In the Premier League, four clubs have been dominant over the past decade ... and will continue to be until doomsday under the present system."
While backing FIFA's push for the introduction of quotas on foreign players, Warner also said clubs must send money back to the countries where players originated.
"Clubs should invest at least 10 per cent of earning of their players from the territories in which they were contracted," Warner said. "These funds should be used specifically for the development of grass roots football and the development of homegrown players."
But diverging from FIFA president Sepp Blatter's agenda, Warner said technology must be embraced to "reduce levels of uncertainty in the decision-making process."
Warner would like to see goal-line technology introduced, but does not believe a perfect system is ready to be deployed.
"If this can help in making the game fairer, I say embrace it," he said. "Justice must be seen to be done, but the smart ball is not as smart as yet."
More accurate timekeeping would also ensure the game is fairer, he said.
"You pay to see 90 minutes of football," he said. "Tracking devices currently being used at the Under-20 World Cup have shown that in any half of a game as low as 22 minutes has been played, so the actual playing time could only be 44 minutes.
"This is wrong and technology could provide spectators with better bang for his buck."
Warner turned the spotlight on free kicks, arguing that eight-man defensive walls serve as a disadvantage to the attacking team. He wants the walls to be limited to two players.
Indeed, allowing just 10 players on each side would "allow more space for creative play and to stop teams parking the bus," Warner said.
And making the penalty area nine yards by nine yards would put greater pressure on goalkeepers.
Warner went on to call for an annual six to eight-week window where there is "no football involving professional football" to allow players to recover and alleviate disputes between clubs and countries.
Warner is also concerned about the standards of coaches, questioning why earning a qualification takes 33 weeks in Germany but six to eight weeks in England.
Turning to bidding for the 2018 World Cup, Warner called the English campaign "lightweight," complaining that as he arrived at Stamford Bridge for the conference he was handed promotional gifts from rival bids like Australia, but nothing from England.
"In Rio last week my colleagues are talking about the Spain, Russia, and the US bids, but not many of them are talking about England," Warner added. "England's bid is creeping along and it needs to start galloping."
AP
Thursday, October 08, 2009
LONDON, England (AP) - FIFA vice-president Jack Warner called for the implementation of a salary cap and the widespread introduction of technology as he plotted an overhaul of football yesterday.
FIFA vice-president, Trinidadian Jack Warner, addresses the Leaders in Football Conference in London yesterday.
Addressing world football's leading administrators in London, the CONCACAF president also openly questioned whether the number of players on the field should be reduced to 10 and the penalty area made smaller.
"There is no reason that the game should remain static for another 500 years," Warner said. "As leaders we should allow the game to develop and evolve."
Warner railed against the influence of European "megaclubs" amassing large debts, warning that unless new regulations are embraced the current dominance in Europe - particularly in Spain and England - would be perpetuated.
"A salary cap should be introduced to allow for a more level playing field among clubs," Warner said. "Otherwise, smaller clubs will never be able to compete with high-spending ones. Never.
"In the Premier League, four clubs have been dominant over the past decade ... and will continue to be until doomsday under the present system."
While backing FIFA's push for the introduction of quotas on foreign players, Warner also said clubs must send money back to the countries where players originated.
"Clubs should invest at least 10 per cent of earning of their players from the territories in which they were contracted," Warner said. "These funds should be used specifically for the development of grass roots football and the development of homegrown players."
But diverging from FIFA president Sepp Blatter's agenda, Warner said technology must be embraced to "reduce levels of uncertainty in the decision-making process."
Warner would like to see goal-line technology introduced, but does not believe a perfect system is ready to be deployed.
"If this can help in making the game fairer, I say embrace it," he said. "Justice must be seen to be done, but the smart ball is not as smart as yet."
More accurate timekeeping would also ensure the game is fairer, he said.
"You pay to see 90 minutes of football," he said. "Tracking devices currently being used at the Under-20 World Cup have shown that in any half of a game as low as 22 minutes has been played, so the actual playing time could only be 44 minutes.
"This is wrong and technology could provide spectators with better bang for his buck."
Warner turned the spotlight on free kicks, arguing that eight-man defensive walls serve as a disadvantage to the attacking team. He wants the walls to be limited to two players.
Indeed, allowing just 10 players on each side would "allow more space for creative play and to stop teams parking the bus," Warner said.
And making the penalty area nine yards by nine yards would put greater pressure on goalkeepers.
Warner went on to call for an annual six to eight-week window where there is "no football involving professional football" to allow players to recover and alleviate disputes between clubs and countries.
Warner is also concerned about the standards of coaches, questioning why earning a qualification takes 33 weeks in Germany but six to eight weeks in England.
Turning to bidding for the 2018 World Cup, Warner called the English campaign "lightweight," complaining that as he arrived at Stamford Bridge for the conference he was handed promotional gifts from rival bids like Australia, but nothing from England.
"In Rio last week my colleagues are talking about the Spain, Russia, and the US bids, but not many of them are talking about England," Warner added. "England's bid is creeping along and it needs to start galloping."
Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 
05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015
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