March 16 – The Finalissima scheduled for March 27 in Qatar between Spain and Argentina, has been cancelled amid a war of words.
“With airspace disruption and travel restrictions still affecting the ability of many fans, players and officials to travel, it has been jointly agreed that relocating the match at this time is the most appropriate course of action,” said a Qatar organising committee statement.
Relocating the game has sparked public disagreement between UEFA and Conmebol with both confederations expressing frustration with each other.
UEFA offered last minute venues to Argentina and Conmebol who refused the venue options and then baulked at playing on the scheduled March 27 date, instead saying Argentina could only play on March 31.
In their statement UEFA said: “It is a source of great disappointment to UEFA and the organisers that circumstances and timing have denied the teams of the chance to compete for this prestigious prize in Qatar – a country that has demonstrated time and again its capability of staging world class international events in state-of-the-art facilities.”
UEFA pointed the finger at the Argentinian FA (AFA) for failing to agree to alternatives. The confederation offered Argentina two options for the Finalissima: a single match at the Bernabeu with a supporters split of 50-50, or a two-legged final with a first match at the Bernabeu on March 27 and the second leg in Buenos Aires before the next Euros/Copa America. The AFA rejected both options.
UEFA said that Argentina offered to play the game after the World Cup but because of the calendar Spain had no available dates.
“Ultimately, UEFA sought a commitment from Argentina that, if a neutral venue in Europe could be found, the game could go ahead on 27 March… or on the alternative date of 30 March. This proposal was also rejected,” said UEFA.
Hours after the UEFA statement, Conmebol and the AFA responded publicly with their own version of the discussion, saying: “CONMEBOL and the AFA reiterated at all times their willingness to play the Finalissima on neutral ground and accepted the proposed venue after long insistence from UEFA to play it in Madrid. Unfortunately, it was not possible to reach a final agreement for the match because the requested alternative date was not accepted given the limited time available,”
Conmebol and the AFA felt the proposal to play a single match in Madrid did not respect the principle of sporting fairness. “In this situation, on Saturday, March 14, the proposal to hold the match at a neutral venue, (in) Italy, on March 27, reached the AFA. Argentina accepted the idea without objection, except for the date, suggesting March 31,” the statement reads.
“Unfortunately, UEFA announced that holding the match on the 31st – just four days after the original proposal – was not possible, and the Finalissima was cancelled. CONMEBOL and the AFA deeply regret that, despite the efforts made and the willingness expressed to play this match, it was not possible to reach an agreement,” the statement added.
How much effort was made by Conmebol and the AFA, and how willing they really were to rearrange is at the heart of the dispute. With the bulk of Argentina’s players at clubs in Europe – bar their human ATM Lionel Messi – playing in Europe on the date originally scheduled to play in Qatar seems the obvious and workable solution. Conmebol, who are rapidly building themselves a reputation of being a difficult federation to build a trusting relationship with, offered no alternative solution. Now the whole Conmebol-UEFA memorandum of understanding looks to be in doubt. Certainly trust levels are low.
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