Another score for FIFA. Copa América '07 in danger.

[El Diablo Rojo]

Here's the thing.... http://www.fifa.com/en/media/index/0,1369,138541,00.html

For medical reasons and in the interests of player health, the executive also ruled that in future, no international matches may be played at an altitude higher than 2,500 metres above sea level.

So there wouldn't be any more matches in cities like Cusco, La Paz, Quito and Bogota, to name some(Basically this affects: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru).

You may wonder, "What does this have to do with Copa América?".
Well pretty much Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay will vote in favour of this decision.
However it rests to know what will Venezuela vote, if Venezuela accepts this, then all the 4, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru would not take part in the Copa América...

First of all i totally disagree with this decision, and second if they do this why don't they forbid matches to be played in places liks Moscow then?

And another thing that may cause troubles for the southamerican national teams in general...

- Only players who have full nationality status will be permitted to play for the national team of the country in question.

Great FIFA, just great.

 

[easyeasyeasy]

FIFA haven't got a fecking clue.

 

[Biebrich 02]

First of all i totally disagree with this decision, and second if they do this why don't they forbid matches to be played in places liks Moscow then?

Why moscow? It's a 150 metres above sea level.

if Venezuela accepts this, then all the 4, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru would not take part in the Copa América...

Why? As protest? To punish venezuela for voting for that? I don't think those countries will miss a copa america because of that.

 

[El Diablo Rojo]

Why moscow?

Isn't it in places like Moscow where they have troubles to get proper pitches, because of the cold? And even if the pitch wasn't a problem the severe cold itself.

Why? As protest? To punish venezuela for voting for that? I don't think those countries will miss a copa america because of that.

Pretty much both, but more likely the second is more accurate seeing as almost 1 month left for the Copa América and it's gonna be hosted in the "undecided one".

Also, rumours say this may be extended to take effect in southamerican cups too, not only national team matches.

 

[Biebrich 02]

Moscow is not actually a cold city. it's a city with very continental weather. Cold winters (-10&#176, hot summers (+30&#176. So you would have to set a limit ("no matches below zero" or something like that) which would mean you will have a lot of matches cancelled or delayed because of unpredictable weather.

 

[El Diablo Rojo]

Probably Moscow is not the case but, still if they forbid places for altitude may as well forbid places due severe cold weather. Or may as well not forbid either and everybody happy, but it's FIFA we are talking about.

 

[PSVFOREVER]

I say ban every South American nation for playing their games in a non-EU country. That should learn them. Only our climate will be tolerated! We are superior!

 

[samuelbarros]

Picked this up from BBC website.

The ruling was greeted with dismay in Latin America, notably in Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia, where games in La Paz are played at 3,600m (11,811ft).

Bolivia's President, Evo Morales, vowed to lead a campaign against the ban.

Mr Morales said he would send a high-level :mexican: delegation to Fifa's headquarters in Zurich and called on other countries to join his campaign.

11,811 feet is pretty damn high. The highest mountain in the UK is only 4,400 feet. That feels really high. Can't imagine what it's like to simply be at nearly 3 times that height, let alone play football up there.

If England ever played at that altitude, David Beckham's penalties would literally go into orbit.

 

[4lan...]

If England ever played at that altitude, David Beckham's penalties would literally go into orbit.

No, the orbit already been reached. The universe is the next high elevation for our boyscout Becks!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXDFoXUYORA&mode=related&search=

 

[whathe]

It's not like those countries doesn't have stadiums on more reasonable altitudes so what's the big deal, move your ass down from there. Oh I know, now Ecuador can't get to World Cup anymore. :boohoo:I don't know at what altitude Peru played it's national games before but it announced few months ago that it will move the games to somewhere 3000+ meters so I guess that was the last straw for FIFA. And that's been a problem for years now, players complaining about lack of oxygen etc. For example at the beginning of this year Brazilian club Flamengo announced they will not play anymore at those heights after game in Bolivia at 3500m above sea level.

 

[Lennon]

Paraguay will support Ecuador, Colombia and Bolivia it seems

 

[El Diablo Rojo]

It's not like those countries doesn't have stadiums on more reasonable altitudes so what's the big deal, move your ass down from there. Oh I know, now Ecuador can't get to World Cup anymore. :boohoo:I don't know at what altitude Peru played it's national games before but it announced few months ago that it will move the games to somewhere 3000+ meters so I guess that was the last straw for FIFA. And that's been a problem for years now, players complaining about lack of oxygen etc. For example at the beginning of this year Brazilian club Flamengo announced they will not play anymore at those heights after game in Bolivia at 3500m above sea level.

Seriously i doubt that, Bolivia for example has any other fit stadium to play WCQ, to give you an idea the vice-president of FIFA claims that in Argentina there's only 1 stadium fit to play WCQ in matter of FIFA's requirements, the Monumental. And if they don't have a fit stadium so what? Are they forcing them to move to another country just for the idiocy of not allowing them to play in those places. Also it's not like Ecuador had too many troubles facing the kinds of England in Europe. And doesn't mean Ecuador wouldn't qualify for another world cup either.

Paraguay will support Ecuador, Colombia and Bolivia it seems

That's good, too bad we have to cope with that dip****, Mr. Vice-President of FIFA.

 

[Ruben Sosa]

I don't know at what altitude Peru played it's national games before but it announced few months ago that it will move the games to somewhere 3000+ meters so I guess that was the last straw for FIFA.

That's right. Peru has, I believe, historically played all their home games in Lima (sea-level to 1000m). Their intention to move their WCQ venue to Cuzco (3500m) seems like an obvious attempt to jump onto Bolivia's and Ecuador's bandwagon.

Colombia too had similar plans. In the last WCQ's, Colombia played in Barranquilla (at sea-level), but now intended to switch to Bogotá (2600m) for the 2010 WCQ's.

Paraguay will support Ecuador, Colombia and Bolivia it seems

Peru will as well, apparently.

Here, the government wants to back Bolivia's claim, however, Jose Luis Corbo, president of AUF said: "Uruguay no vota jugar en la altura. Más allá de la fraternidad y solidaridad con los hermanos de América, como lo ha dicho el presidente de la República (Dr. Tabáre Vázquez), nosotros debemos actuar pensando en Sudáfrica 2010. No vamos a acompañar ninguna posición que tienda a mantener la postura de que se puedan disputar partidos en condiciones en que puede haber ventajas extradeportivas y, además, riesgos a la salud de los deportista", so we'll probably be against.

Supposing Argentina and Brazil go against too, as everyone expects, Bolivia will need the support of either Chile or Venezuela to be majority.

Seriously i doubt that, Bolivia for example has any other fit stadium to play WCQ, to give you an idea the vice-president of FIFA claims that in Argentina there's only 1 stadium fit to play WCQ in matter of FIFA's requirements, the Monumental. And if they don't have a fit stadium so what? Are they forcing them to move to another country just for the idiocy of not allowing them to play in those places. Also it's not like Ecuador had too many troubles facing the kinds of England in Europe. And doesn't mean Ecuador wouldn't qualify for another world cup either.

Well, whoever that vice-president is, he's an even bigger moron that Blatter.

Bolivia has the Ramón Tahuichi Aguilera stadium in Santa Cruz de la Sierra (400m) which would be more than adequate for WCQ games, and was used before just for that in the 80's.

I'm cynical enough to believe that the height-ban was brought up again just to draw attention away from the permanent nationality rule that'll affect practically every South American player in Europe.

 

[Bobby]

It's Carlos Warner, President of CONCACAF. Mexico and the USA hate him, but all the nations have one vote and all the islands vote for him.

 

[Ruben Sosa]

It's Carlos Warner, President of CONCACAF. Mexico and the USA hate him, but all the nations have one vote and all the islands vote for him.

Thanks for the info. I've gone and looked him up, apparently he was involved in a World Cup tickets scam.

 

[Biebrich 02]

That's right. Peru has, I believe, historically played all their home games in Lima (sea-level to 1000m). Their intention to move their WCQ venue to Cuzco (3500m) seems like an obvious attempt to jump onto Bolivia's and Ecuador's bandwagon.

I don't get it. Why could that help Peru to win its matches, all their players aren't used to play in such heights just like the teams of Paraguay, Brazil etc.

 

[El Diablo Rojo]

I don't get it. Why could that help Peru to win its matches, all their players aren't used to play in such heights just like the teams of Paraguay, Brazil etc.

Depends, players of Cienciano are more likely used to that not all the players of Peru may be used to that but some are more likely, and probably from now on they'd have their practices there.

Well, whoever that vice-president is, he's an even bigger moron that Blatter.

Bolivia has the Ramón Tahuichi Aguilera stadium in Santa Cruz de la Sierra (400m) which would be more than adequate for WCQ games, and was used before just for that in the 80's.

I'm cynical enough to believe that the height-ban was brought up again just to draw attention away from the permanent nationality rule that'll affect practically every South American player in Europe.

The vice-president of FIFA is no other than Julio Grondona, president of AFA.

Yes probably you are right that it was made to draw attention from the nationality rule, which pretty much will force players to pick between getting more money or stay in the country and have a chance for the national team, unfortunately these days it seems they'd choose the money and probably they would end up playing on european national teams.:boohoo:

 

[Harmsworth1]

unfortunately these days it seems they'd choose the money and probably they would end up playing on european national teams.:boohoo:

Yes, its true. The only thing you can do is hope that football increases its importance, and, more investors pour their moey into it. If you dont have a healthy financial footbal league, it will be very difficult to keep the players home.

 

[El Diablo Rojo]

Or to hope on players' goodwill, but then again that doesn't mean we'll stop producing players like now(south america in general).

 

[Dante_1901]

That's right. Peru has, I believe, historically played all their home games in Lima (sea-level to 1000m). Their intention to move their WCQ venue to Cuzco (3500m) seems like an obvious attempt to jump onto Bolivia's and Ecuador's bandwagon.

Peru's intention is only play against Argentina and Brazil in Cusco, for obvious reasons and with mostly Cienciano players ... our other local matches in the WC Qualifier will be held in Lima as always.

If FIFA screws us again, well seems like those matches would be brought to Arequipa (2300 meters).

But obviously the only reason of this decision is screw this 4 countries. Thank god, Paraguay went to our side and now we're 5 ... only Venezuela missing to make the 6 votes.