By David Gold
August 1 – World champions Japan have escaped FIFA censure after the coach of the women’s football team admitted he had wanted to avoid a result which would have meant his team playing their Olympic quarter-final in Glasgow.
Japan’s 0-0 draw with South Africa in Cardiff meant that they finished behind Sweden in their group, and will now meet Brazil in the Welsh city rather than travel all the way up to Scotland.
Coach Norio Sasaki (pictured above, left) admitted to journalists after the game that he had instructed his players to keep the ball rather than press for a winner to avoid winning the group.
“It was a different way of playing compared to the usual game, but the players were on the same page as me,” he had said.
“I feel sorry we couldn’t show a respectable game, but it’s my responsibility, not the players, why the game was like that.
“It was important for us not to move to Glasgow.”
Having had a day to reflect, FIFA has considered Sasaki’s comments but declined to take any further action.
A FIFA statement read: “The chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee (Marcel Mathier of Switzerland) has this afternoon reviewed comments made by Japan’s women’s head coach Norio Sasaki at the post-match press conference, following the conclusion of their Group F match against South Africa in Cardiff yesterday afternoon.
“Following this analysis, there are no sufficient elements to start disciplinary proceedings.”
The decision may mystify the public given the outcry caused by eight Asian badminton players, two from China, four from South Korea and two from Indonesia, who were today expelled from the Olympics for not trying their best to win matches played last night.
The World Badminton Federation kicked those players out for not playing within the spirit of the sport following anger at their behaviour.
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