SFA is totally against British Olympic football side, insists Stewart Regan

Stewart Regan has underlined the strength of the Scottish Football Association's opposition to a British football team following comments made by Andy Hunt, his counterpart at the British Olympic Association.

Hunt stated that he was "incredibly positive" about the prospect of a fully inclusive squad but Regan has once again moved to distance Scotland from any involvement with a Team GB football team ahead of next summer's Olympics. "Scotland has said for some time now - certainly going back to 2009 when this dialogue was first entered into - that we wanted to play any football matches as Scotland and not as Great Britain," said Regan. "It is very important for us to play as Scotland and retain our independence, particularly given our position within Fifa."

Regan yesterday insisted that there have been no discussions with Hunt and no indication of interest from any of the men's and women's squad players who have been consulted. Significantly, Regan also pointed out that the SFA could not afford to place great store in repeated assurances from Fifa that its independence would remain unaltered by any involvement with the Team GB project. This follows a period of upheaval within Fifa. Although Sepp Blatter was elected to serve another four years as Fifa president last month the SFA supported the English FA's motion to postpone the vote, following allegations of corruption said to involve key figures within world football's governing body.

Jack Warner, the man at the centre of the Fifa bribery scandal, is the latest Fifa official to resign from all his positions in international football. Warner, the longest-serving member of Fifa's executive committee, had been suspended pending the outcome of a bribery inquiry. Regan's words would seem to indicate that the SFA cannot rely on the pledges of a committee which is itself in a period of flux. Jrme Valcke, the Fifa general secretary, has written to all four British football associations and assured them that involvement in Team GB would not threaten their special privilege to compete as individual teams in international football. However, Regan is conscious that Fifa, despite recent troubles, does aim to operate as a democracy and pressure from members of the executive committee could lead to a change of position on this matter infuture.

"Fifa have made it clear that as far as they are concerned they are passing the matter back to the British Olympic authority and to England to try and get to a successful position as far as Team GB is concerned," said Regan in an interview which was released on the SFA's own official website yesterday. "We have seen Fifa's comments and they've stated that they are prepared to give assurances that there would be not be any further repercussions if Scotland do participate in team GB.

"However, we are aware that any change of Fifa executive committee in the future can overturn that position. Therefore it is very important for us to maintain independence. "Scotland has a seat at the Fifa table. It has a seat on the international FA board under the banner of Scotland. That is something we feel is very important and something we wish to protect."