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FIFA to consider changing international date arrangements FIFA is to re-examine arrangements for playing international double-headers to help ease the strain on players, clubs and their coaches. FIFA president Sepp Blatter said world soccer's governing body will consider a suggestion from Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger among others, that international double-headers should be played on Wednesdays and Saturdays instead of the other way around. "This is a very intelligent proposal from Mr Wenger and we will examine it next month," Blatter told a media briefing on Sunday, adding that a number of other calendar issues would be discussed at a Strategic Committee meeting early next month. FIFA introduced their international co-ordinated calendar two years ago in a bid to streamline the dates for competitive internationals and friendlies and while the idea has generally worked well, there is still a huge burden on players appearing for both their clubs and countries a few days apart. If the switch was adopted and the first of the double-headers was played on Wednesday rather than Saturday, players would have a full week to recover before their next club match. Blatter was critical of the England players who refused to speak to the media after being lambasted last week when they drew 2-2 with Austria in Vienna after leading 2-0 with just 19 minutes to go. Blatter said: "International footballers are recognisable public personalities with an obligation to communicate with the media and the public and accept from time to time that they are going to be criticised. "This is a world of total communication now and to lose communication is wrong, and to instigate a media blackout was wrong." Blatter is meeting England coach Sven Goran Eriksson while in London on Monday and says he intends to tell him personally he thinks the England players should have spoken to the press last week. Blatter also said the decision by English referee Steve Bennett to hand Everton's Tim Cahill a second yellow card for pulling his shirt over his face after scoring against Manchester City on Saturday was also wrong -- but that the rules on what constitutes the removal of a shirt also need to be looked at. He said: "A referee should never expel a player just because he pulled his shirt over his head, he should just have a word with him. "If you take off your shirt and wave it over your head that's a different matter -- then you are saying you are ready to go back to the changing rooms." |
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