By Andrew Warshaw
June 17 – European football’s governing body today gave FIFA three months to clean up its act and implement “concrete” changes following the recent spate of bribery allegations.
With a decision over the long-term futures of Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed Bin Hammam and his CONCACAF counterpart Jack Warner, both provisionally suspended, expected by the end of July, UEFA says the reforms announced by FIFA President Sepp Blatter had to show its teeth sooner rather than later.
UEFA has summoned all 53 of its members to a strategy meeting in Cyprus in September and general secretary Gianni Infantino (pictured) said: “The UEFA Executive Committee has taken note of the will of FIFA to take concrete and effective measures for good governance.
“It hopes to see results within three months and it is following the situation closely.
“We want whatever it is FIFA chooses to do to be concrete.”
Infantino also announced a new punishment for players deliberately incurring yellow cards so that they only miss less significant matches.
Last season Real Madrid coach José Mourinho was handed a touchline ban and two of his players, Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos, were fined after receiving second bookings for time-wasting in a Champions League group game against Ajax.
Players found guilty of being cautioned on purpose will in future see their ban extended to two matches to avoid any trickery.
“Up to now, this kind of conduct has been penalised with a fine, but now there will be an additional match of suspension on top of the one automatically given after an accumulation of yellow cards,” Infantino said.
UEFA are also stepping up their campaign against match-fixing in the midst of an emerging scandal in Italy.
“We are strengthening our rules with regard to the whole cancer of match-fixing, manipulation and corruption by foreseeing measures giving the possibility to the disciplinary bodies and inspectors to co-operate much more closely with the public authorities,” Infantino said.
“We are cooperating already, but we did not have the legal base – we will now have it much more clearly.”
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