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By Duncan Mackay
January 24 – Europe’s leading clubs will be forced to release their top stars, like Didier Drogba (pictured), to play in the African Cup of Nations once every four years under plans proposed by FIFA President Sepp Blatter.
The bi-annual tournament always attracts criticism from European clubs who are forced to cope for up to a month without their leading players every other year.
Blatter has now held talks with Issa Hayatou, the President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), about the situation
He said: ”Being a bi-annual event could be tiring to the players especially in the year of the World Cup.
“The players play in European leagues, then travel to the Africa Cup of Nation, then go back to play in the European league and then join the national team for the World Cup a few months later.
“I suggested to Mr Hayatou that during that year, if they insist on having it every two years, they should hold an African championship which involves only the local players and not the professionals and that would solve the problem.”
But Blatter has rejected calls for the event to move to a four-year cycle, like the European Championships.
He said: ”I believe that CAF’s initiative is a good one by playing every second year.
“According to Mr Hayatou, it helps in forcing every African country to build an infrastructure for football and by building infrastructure in the country.
“It is not only football stadiums but roads, hotels, telecommunications, transportation, etc, otherwise they will never have any stadiums in some countries.
“All other continents hold this event every four years.
“I don’t know if Africa will change or not as long as it works well for them as it is now.
“Actually, I don’t think it will change.”
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