FIFA wants World Cup players insured

Munich: FIFA president Sepp Blatter says soccer's governing body must develop a way to cover the insurance costs of players who get injured while on national team duty.

The World Cup provides an opportunity for Blatter to take a peek at what is essentially a test program.

"We have to find a mechanism that will ensure that all players, when playing in international competitions, have adequate insurance," Blatter said.

"In principle, our regulations say the club is responsible for the insurance. But (World Cup) regulations also say the national team is responsible to (guarantee) the player is adequately insured."

"But in 2006, we have this special insurance pool that if a player is injured, and his insurance costs are not covered, the costs will be covered by this special fund."

The proposal will go before the FIFA Congress on Wednesday and Thursday.

It's devised to counter a lawsuit by Belgian club RSC Charleroi which charges that FIFA's rules requiring the release of players for national teams are illegal.

Charleroi claims $795,000 for damages incurred when Morocco midfielder Abdelmajid Oulmers was injured in 2004 while playing in a friendly match for his country.

The World Cup insurance pool, amounting to $12.5 million, or 5 per cent of the tournament's prize pool, was established in 2004, and now FIFA is looking to expand the project.

That is unlikely to appease the group of major European clubs - including Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Juventus - known as the G-14.

That group already has demanded $1.1 billion in costs for releasing players for national team duty over the past 10 years.

A Belgian court rejected that claim last month, but deferred a decision on Charleroi's suit - which was tied to the G-14's case - to the European Court of Justice.

It was the European Court that struck down FIFA's rules on transfers 11 years ago, causing a massive change in the sport.

"We are not waiting until the court decides," Blatter said.

"Depending on the speed of the court, that can take a long time. We have a problem and we have to solve the problem."

While FIFA rejects the clubs' demand for direct payment, it also acknowledges that even coming up with a formula on injury claims will be complicated.

"We will have to find out, 'Was he already injured? What is his salary? What is really the loss?"' FIFA general secretary Urs Linsi said. "So it's not so easy with the insurance."

"Then there are so many different insurances in place, the clubs, the national associations. With this World Cup fund, we will have experience."

The G-14 reportedly is considering recommending the World Cup be played every two years, instead of every four.

Such a proposal would abolish qualifying for the tournament and for continental championships, while establishing several tiers in the continental competitions.

The worst teams from the upper tier would be dropped down to the lower tier, and the best teams from that level would be promoted every two years.

Blatter proposed a biennial World Cup in 1999 before abandoning the idea amid resistance from Europe. Linsi seemed unmoved by the new suggestion.

"We have a calendar every four years," Linsi said. "We have to make sure there is not too much football."