FA concern over deadline
Football Association chiefs insist they will be “seriously disappointed” if World Cup organisers this week reject Sven-Goran Eriksson’s bid to have the date of the final squad deadline delayed.
The England head coach has been gathering support from fellow national team coaches to ask FIFA to move the May 15 deadline closer to the start of the finals on June 9.
FIFA’s World Cup organising committee meet in Zurich on Thursday where they will decide on the issue.
FA executive director David Davies told PA Sport: “We will be seriously disappointed if there is not some movement on that date. Any significant movement would be helpful.”
Eriksson met many of his fellow coaches at a World Cup workshop in Dusseldorf last week and was given unanimous backing.
They have told FIFA they would like at least another week, and ideally two more weeks, before finalising their squads for the tournament.
Davies added: “Sven is rightly perceived as one of the most senior international coaches and he has had approval from all his colleagues.
“The whole purpose of the four-week preparation period is to give all the coaches the best chance to bring their squads to the World Cup in the best condition.
“Quite understandably, the coaches want to make their judgements as late as possible.”
FIFA say the May 15 deadline was decided upon in order to ensure that the players in the World Cup were given as much rest as possible.
The game’s world governing body have ruled no competitive matches may be played after May 14, with the exception of the Champions League final on May 17, and no international friendlies played until May 21.
A FIFA spokesman said: “The original reasoning behind the date is that it would ensure the rest period for all players in the World Cup.
“If the deadline is later, then you don’t know who those players are, that’s why the May 15 deadline seemed logical.”
