England given nod by Fifa to represent Team GB

Published on Monday 1 June 2009 00:18

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has officially approved the deal for exclusively English football teams to represent Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympics.

The four home nations had written to Fifa detailing their agreement for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to take no part in the Olympics football tournament but allowing England to represent Team GB.

The deal was presented to Fifa's executive committee meeting in Nassau, Bahamas yesterday, and afterwards Blatter said all parties were happy. It means the way is now completely clear for the British Olympic Association to announce that England will represent Team GB in the men's and women's tournaments.

Blatter said: "I'm happy because I have always said don't make a big story about this.

"You have to bring a Great Britain team for the 2012 Olympics in football, and as they are four associations then take one association to be this team.

"I said this at the very beginning and they did it. I am happy they are happy, the IOC is happy, the organising committee is happy and I hope football is happy."

The Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish FAs feared any involvement could threaten their separate identity in football, but Andy Burnham, secretary of state for culture, media and sport, earlier condemned their stance as "narrow-minded".

Burnham said on BBC Radio Five Live: "I'm obviously pleased that the four associations have come to an agreement that there can be a Team GB.

"But I think it's very disappointing and actually a bit narrow-minded in some ways that we're just saying young talent from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can't represent that Team GB."

It was also decided at the meeting that Europa League matches next season will be played with five officials as part of a trial.

The system involves an extra official standing on either side of each goal, assisting the referee make decisions by communicating through headsets.

Scotland will have four teams in the tournament formerly known as the Uefa Cup: Hearts, Aberdeen, Falkirk and Motherwell.

Fifa tested the system last year, and Uefa conducted successful experiments in Under-19 European Championship qualifying.

Blatter announced that Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Manaus, Fortaleza, Natal, Recife, Salvador, Brasilia, Cuiaba, Belo Horizonte, Curitiba and Porto Alegre will be the 12 cities to host the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Five candidates were left out of the event: Florianopolis, Goiania, Campo Grande, Belem and Rio Branco.