FA 'too willing to dance to Fifa's tune'.
By: Matt Dickinson (Chief Sports Correspondent, Times).
The FA will make a financial loss on the trip to Trinidad and Tobago next week, to the anger of several board members. They have raised concerns that the organisation is bending over too far in its desperation to win votes for the 2018 World Cup bid, which is the main justification for travelling to the Caribbean.
Although the precise loss is unknown, and not even senior FA councillors have been told, it has caused more internal debate about how far the governing body should be going in its quest to host the 2018 tournament.
There is particular disquiet that the FA is allowing Jack Warner, the controversial vice-president of Fifa, to dictate the financial terms of the visit by Fabio Capello’s England squad, which may be without some of the shattered Champions League finalists. The England manager made a concession last night when he said that he would allow them to report tomorrow morning rather than tonight, a move that he would hope guarantees a full turnout.
Warner has been embroiled in various scandals, including ticket-touting by his son, during his time as president of Concacaf, the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football, and has survived because of the personal backing of Sepp Blatter, the Fifa president.
With so many superstars in the England team, which allows the hosts to cash in through gate money and television rights, the FA would normally drive a hard bargain and come home with a healthy profit. But experienced FA politicians will say that the “small loss” is a price that has to be paid if England are to be serious bidders for 2018, given Warner’s influence at Fifa.
Warner had previously said that he would fight against an English bid, describing the country as an “irritant” who were hated by all of Europe. But the promise of a visit from David Beckham and company and the chance to fill the Hasely Crawford Stadium to its 23,000 capacity has succeeded in softening him up, at least publicly.
He has subsequently argued that he was reflecting the opinions of other “football grandees” and would be happy to see an England bid. The FA is likely to have rivals from Australia, China, the United States and Canada, as well as from within Europe, for the tournament in 2018.
Trinidad and Tobago are celebrating a century of football on the islands in the match scheduled to take place a week on Sunday, and which is expected to go ahead despite a row between the local football federation and its Government over the stadium rental.
It is part of an 11-day training camp that Capello has organised so that he can work with a group of 30 players. There will be questions about the readiness of Chelsea and United players to face up to friendly internationals, starting with a visit by the United States to Wembley on Wednesday.
With most of the squad scheduled to meet at England’s Watford base last night, Capello had initially given the finalists an extra 24 hours, until 8pm this evening, to rest. The Italian was reluctant to make any more allowances because, since taking up the post in January, the longest he has gathered his players together is three days.
He may take mercy on those who have endured particularly tough seasons by sparing them the trip to Port of Spain next week, although England will not want to leave too many players behind, given that impressing Warner is a priority.