PRETORIA, South Africa - Joseph Blatter, the president of FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, again got on his soap box at a news conference Thursday and called for Major League Soccer to switch its March-to-November schedule to the European calendar.
Asked about the development of soccer in the United States since it hosted the 1994 World Cup, Blatter acknowledged the formation of M.L.S., but added, “There is one big problem there. The organizers know that.”
As long as M.L.S. teams do not have their own stadiums, they would continue to have to play in American football stadiums and arrange their seasons accordingly, Blatter said. Perhaps he doesn’t realize that eight M.L.S. teams play in stadiums built for soccer.
“The result is, you will not attract star players from Europe to play six or seven months,” Blatter said. He continued: “This is not the right solution for M.L.S. They have to adapt themselves to the international calendar. If they do that, they can have success.”
Blatter also reiterated another of his favorite talking points – that he is against use of video replay in soccer. The issue reared again on Monday after Egypt claimed video replay had been used before the referee ejected an Egyptian player for using his arm to block a shot by Brazil, leading to a penalty kick and a 4-3 Brazil victory.
FIFA said that no video replay had been used; Blatter said a television set for the fourth official would be removed from the sideline for the rest of the Confederations Cup to ease suspicions.
“I am still of the opinion we should not use video for decisions on the field of play.”
Instead, Blatter has proposed another solution. Beginning this season in the Europa League (formerly the UEFA Cup), two additional referees’ assistants, located outside the field of play, will help monitor action at the goal line and elsewhere in the penalty area.
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