By Andrew Warshaw
April 4 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter has stepped into the Uruguayan crisis by declaring the country will not be kicked out of the World Cup – even though the federation has now been suspended by Conmebol, the confederation that runs South American football.
Conmebol gave no reason for its move to throw out the Uruguay Football Association but a few days earlier the majority of the federation’s board, including president Sebastian Bauza, resigned over a domestic power struggle.
Speaking at the under-17 women’s World Cup in Costa Rica, Blatter said Conmebol’s sanction would not affect Uruguay’s place in Brazil even though it would appear there is no federation structure in place and therefore no-one directly responsible for the players. “Uruguay will be playing the World Cup and will be in its group,” said Blatter.
In a statement on its own website, the federation added: “[Conmebol] has decided to provisionally suspend the AUF from its rights as a member association, a decision not detrimental [of Uruguay] in the sporting arena”
The Uruguayan government’s move last weekend, since withdrawn, to deny the big two clubs Nacional and Peñarol match policing due to violence by their hardcore fans led to media reports that such interference in football affairs might get Uruguay expelled from the World Cup. Among the reasons for the government backtracking on the police custody issue was the commitment from the game’s authorities to get tougher on fan violence.
Uruguay, semi-finalists at the 2010 finals in South Africa, face Costa Rica, England and Italy in Group D at the tournament in Brazil that kicks off on June 12.
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