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FIFA: It must be a rethink
Richard Scudamore has promised to think again after striking a secret deal with FIFA president Sepp Blatter over globalisation of the Premier League.
The reviled ‘39th Step’ – the plan to play a one-off extra round of fixtures – is not acceptable to FIFA and Scudamore has cancelled a meeting with the world governing body in order to find a revised and acceptable proposal.[>
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FIFA rejected the idea of a 39th game after the Daily Express’s crusade, ‘Kick Out the 39th Step’, won widespread backing.[>
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Tomorrow’s FIFA-Premier League summit in Zurich is now shelved to allow Scudamore to buy time. In return, FIFA have promised to receive any new plan with an open mind.[>
Some like the 39th step, but many don’t, and we have to find a way of making it work
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The deal with FIFA is to find a solution that would gain worldwide approval, and a Premier League insider told the Daily Express: “We’re back on course to get this through, despite all the media opposition, mainly from people such as the Daily Express, but we have to concede the issue is format.[>
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“Some like the 39th step, but many don’t, and we have to find a way of making it work.”[>
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The Premier League were rocking from a series of dismissive reactions from Lord Triesman at the FA to Blatter at FIFA, but Scudamore’s secret diplomacy has managed to persuade FIFA to issue a statement yesterday that contained none of the Blatter rhetoric.[>
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Scudamore will go back to the clubs once he has a revised proposal, knowing, as this newspaper revealed, that chairmen such as Wigan’s Dave Whelan and Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry have said the “39th step is a step too far”.[>
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My Premier League source added: “We set ourselves a year to come up with something that works. We needed time, and that is the reason for the postponement of the meeting with FIFA.”[>
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The League said in a statement: “We have been discussing the strategic global development.[>
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“We need to conduct further internal studies and consultation before seeking the advice of FIFA and the key confederations. This project is still very much in its infancy.[>
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“Having consulted with FIFA, we have decided to delay our planned visit while we conduct further work prior to addressing them and their national bodies.[>
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“FIFA is happy with this and thanks the PL leadership for its constructive approach.”[>