King Italy
10-11-2001, 02:22 PM
The Socceroos will meet Italy for the first time next year after a financial dispute between Soccer Australia (SA) and promoters IEC was settled.
SA had threatened to withdraw the side from the April 17 clash, but the game will now go ahead in Italy at a venue yet to be finalised.
SA had been concerned that under the previous proposal, 70 per cent of match fees would end up in the pockets of middlemen - something the cash-strapped national body was not prepared to accept.
"It is going to proceed because IEC has come to us with a better deal that makes financial sense for Australian soccer," SA acting chief executive Ian Holmes said.
The game will be held just six weeks before the World Cup finals in Japan and South Korea ensuring the Azzurri run out close to a full-strength side with all their Serie A players. It could also prove a crucial build-up for the Socceroos should they qualify for the tournament by beating the fifth-placed South American side in November.
Meanwhile, Holmes said SA had asked FIFA for European referees to be appointed for next month's qualifiers against the South Americans.
"These are critical games. The eyes of the world will be on them," he said. "We can't have refs out of Oceania, CONMEBOL (the South American confederation), or out of CONCACAF or Asia, because they're too close to the respective federations that are competing in the game.
"I'm fairly confident that FIFA will agree to European referees and be seen to be doing the right things."
SA had threatened to withdraw the side from the April 17 clash, but the game will now go ahead in Italy at a venue yet to be finalised.
SA had been concerned that under the previous proposal, 70 per cent of match fees would end up in the pockets of middlemen - something the cash-strapped national body was not prepared to accept.
"It is going to proceed because IEC has come to us with a better deal that makes financial sense for Australian soccer," SA acting chief executive Ian Holmes said.
The game will be held just six weeks before the World Cup finals in Japan and South Korea ensuring the Azzurri run out close to a full-strength side with all their Serie A players. It could also prove a crucial build-up for the Socceroos should they qualify for the tournament by beating the fifth-placed South American side in November.
Meanwhile, Holmes said SA had asked FIFA for European referees to be appointed for next month's qualifiers against the South Americans.
"These are critical games. The eyes of the world will be on them," he said. "We can't have refs out of Oceania, CONMEBOL (the South American confederation), or out of CONCACAF or Asia, because they're too close to the respective federations that are competing in the game.
"I'm fairly confident that FIFA will agree to European referees and be seen to be doing the right things."