Sepp Blatter has warned President Sarkozy that France may be banned from international competition if his government continues to interfere in the affairs of the French Football Federation.

Not the first to be threatened with that POK m8. Nigeria and Ghana have been threatened with being banned if their governments interfered with the running by their associations.

Iraq were banned in 2007, El Salvador had their ban lifted this year. This allowed 3 Referees/Linesman from El Salvador to officiate at this world cup. If the ban hadn't been lifted then no officials from El Salvador would have been selected.

Once a team is banned it applies not only to clubs but officials. financial assistance is also withdrawn from F.I.F.A.

I remember what happened with the Togolese football team at the African Cup of Nations. They got threatened with being booted out after the shooting because their government had ordered them to come home for their own safety, which I thought was an shocking thing for FIFA to do.

I thought it was the African Football Federation that booted them out not FIFA.

It was the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and nowt to do with FIFA who actually helped (second link):

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/footba ... ifted.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010 ... ations-ban

OK, it was the CAF, but it was still the same idea.

how is it the same idea the CAF and the Togo incident had nothing to do with FIFA, or indeed the government of that country effecting the views and politics of the team.

The Togolease government did it for saftey of their players (which they cause by the way as the team players had to travel by bus and not plane) and nothing to do with calling the manager and the persident of their FA into see them as they were crap.

Fetish Bob aka Mystic Meg:

"Nigeria risk being expelled from Fifa if football's world governing body decides there has been unacceptable government interference.

Nigeria's president Goodluck Jonathan has suspended the national team for two years following a poor World Cup.

"Fifa has a very clear position on political interference but it is premature to speak further.

"The worst sanction available is that a national association can be expelled," a Fifa spokesman said.

Jonathan's government announced on Wednesday that the Nigerian Football Federation will be dissolved and an interim board put in place.

"President Goodluck Jonathan has directed that Nigeria withdraws from international competition for two years to enable the country to put its house in order," special presidential adviser Ima Niboro said.

"This directive became necessary following Nigeria's poor performance in the ongoing World Cup."


Fifa rules clearly state that national associations can be expelled if governments are seen to be interfering with the way they operate

Yes I did see that actually.

His intentions are probably good as the president only wants to do whats best for the national team, but I don't really think he should have just took control of things in the way he did.

There were shocking floods in the Var (that means near Toulon) recently that are getting less attention from the governemnt than the football team. This hasn't gone unnoticed by the French population who after all are only interested in football when their team is doing well (fact that can be substantiated by figures).

allez MHSC

I heard that Sarkozy actually had to cancel a rather important NATO meeting so that Henry could meet him to discuss the problems with the national team.

Does this mean you're back over living with the 'cheese eating surrender monkeys', or just keeping up an interest in the adopted homeland?

Here's my view, No matter what the nationality of the teams that FIFA threaten, the fact is that when those players run out onto the field they run out under the name of their country and represent their country.
So, if it is percieved that they have brought shame or embarassment on that country, surely, the government of that country should have the right to an explanation.
What if the right to use the name of that country is withdrawn so no more controversy could reflect on that name, How would that be seen by FIFA.
Perhaps we would see a situation where a World Cup competition was played by a group of teams, some of which carried the names of their respective countries and some of which are called something else again.
In the case of France, Gauls DisUnited.

Personally I have no use for the frogs, but if I was Sarcozy I would tell Blatter to "Fick-Off".

Good post, Mr. butchers block!