Given slams ‘disgusting’ FIFA U-turn as defiant Trap insists Ireland can defeat ‘every team’
Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni speaking at yesterday's press conference in Malahide ahead of Ireland's game with Italy on Saturday
Related Articles
Wednesday October 07 2009
SHAY GIVEN has branded FIFA's decision to introduce seeding for the World Cup play-offs draw as "disgusting" and believes that the FAI should have made a greater effort to protest.
Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni is equally unhappy with the game's governing body but is confident that Ireland are capable of beating any opposition if, as is likely, they end up competing in a two-legged play-off for a place in the South Africa finals next summer.
Ireland trail Group Eight leaders Italy by four points ahead of Saturday's meeting at Croke Park and, speaking after meeting up with his colleagues in Malahide, Given let rip at what team-mate Kevin Kilbane described as "the moving of the goalposts" with respect to the second-placed teams.
"It's pretty disgusting, to be honest," he said. "I think the rules should be laid clear before any ball is kicked and then there's no dark cloud. It's totally unfair on us smaller nations and it's ridiculous. Beyond belief, to be honest.
"To change is crazy and I don't know how they got away with it or how the smaller nations like ourselves haven't put up a bigger fight. All the nations should try and kick up a fuss. That's just my opinion. There are people high up in delegations and maybe their countries are needing a hand to qualify, I don't know.
"It was clear from the start that there were nine second-placed teams and one wouldn't make the play-offs, so this should have been clear as well."
Kilbane, like Given on target to win his 100th cap against Montenegro next Wednesday, is equally outraged. "It's a joke, because they always seem to bend rules and change things in FIFA. I think it's wrong, I really do."
While bullish about his team's prospects, Trapattoni had worked off the assumption it was going to be an open draw until last week's news but acknowledged that business rules football.
And he warned that decisions like this could potentially be the death of the game, citing the previous attempts of the major European clubs to set up a super league as another worrying example.
"For me, this draw must be open," Trapattoni said. "And it must change in future because every country has the right to go there.
"They must give the same opportunities to everybody. They seed by the world rankings, but I also think that system needs to be changed also.
"But if we go into the play-off, we will have a good morale and we can beat every team. I think that we can play well against the great teams.
"Football is changing and I think the big teams can lose."
- Daniel McDonnell
Irish Independent
