Introductions

Mr Joseph S. Blatter, FIFA President
I am delighted to be here with you today. I would like to say what an enormous privilege it is for us footballers to be able to use the two magnificent stadiums in Athens for these Olympic Games, as well as those in the cities of Thessaloniki, Patras, Volos and Iraklion. The other great honour that has been bestowed on us is to begin our tournaments even before the official opening of the Games in these cities, though not in Athens of course, since it would be sacrilege to start before the arrival of the Olympic flame.

Mr Issa Hayatou, FIFA Vice-president
Over the last few days we have held some very useful work meetings to discuss the organisation of the Olympic Tournaments. One particularly interesting meeting concerned refereeing, and as a result we have been able to make sure that both the men and women referees will be able to prepare properly from both a physical and mental point of view. Another meeting involved the Organising Committee for the Football Tournaments and was attended by ATHOC.
Every effort has been made to ensure the Men's and Women's Tournaments go as smoothly as possible and the fact that so many big stars have come gives me plenty of cause to be optimistic.

Mr Urs Linsi, FIFA General Secretary
Both tournaments bode well and feature countries full of ambition. I notice that some nations, such as Argentina, have opted to bring established stars like Saviola, D'Alessandro and Tevez. In the Women's tournament, the United States arrive with a highly experienced side that includes Joy Fawcett, who at 36 will be the competition's elder stateswoman.
Eleven men's teams availed of the rule allowing them to select three players over the age of 23. Two teams (JPN, KOR) called up just two over-age players, while another two (CRC, MLI) decided to bring just one. Serbia and Montenegro decided to name a squad consisting entirely of players under 23.

Mr Patrick Comninos, ATHOC Football Tournaments Manager
This is the biggest international football tournament ever held in Greece. We have a team of more than 600 people working to help organise it, while another 4,000 will be on duty in the stadiums.
Twenty-four of the competing teams have already arrived and Italy and Ghana are due later today or tomorrow. Fourteen teams are staying at the Olympic village and the feedback from them has been very positive. The teams that have chosen to stay in the cities where they will play have also expressed their satisfaction with the set-up.
Four of the stadiums have capacities of between 21 and 27,000, while the Karaiskaki Stadium in Athens holds 33,500. Finally, it is worth noting that the third-place play-off will be in Thessaloniki, which means that for the first time in the history of the tournament a medal will be presented outside the Olympic city.

 

Issues dealt with during the press conference

Mr Joseph S. Blatter, on Greece's victory at UEFA EURO 2004
I would like to congratulate the Greek Football Federation on their country's performance at EURO 2004. Once we saw the team's determination during the first match, it was no surprise to see them go all the way - particularly as they managed to create a little luck for themselves. In football, the tactical possibilities are limitless.
I personally have always liked attacking football, but I remember how back at the 1994 FIFA World Cup Final USA™, Franco Baresi's Italy lost without conceding a goal and we had the impression that the Brazilians would never score, no matter how long they carried on attacking.
There is no such thing as a little team any more, and even if some players went into the competition tired, that is certainly no excuse. Finally, I would like to pay tribute to Greece's manager, because great results cannot be achieved without great leaders.

Mr Joseph S. Blatter, on the rule allowing teams to select three players over the age of 23
This rule was introduced for the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games and we have seen that it has boosted the competition. We will review its effect again at our next strategic studies seminar.
The big clubs, or the richest clubs, don't like releasing their players for international competitions. But players dream of playing in the Olympic Games. Ask new Germany manager Jürgen Klinsmann what his fondest memory from his playing career is and even though he was a world champion in 1990, he will reply "my bronze medal at the 1998 Games in Seoul."
If it is true that some managers have been issuing threats to players when they are selected for major international tournaments, I have to say they would do well to realise that when the players go back to them they will have very valuable experience under their belts.
It has been noticeable recently that the football family has regained some of the solidarity it needs to continue to thrive. Obviously, there is sometimes a clash of interests between clubs who pay players' wages and the countries that want them to turn out for the national side, but it is important to respect a balance that satisfies everyone. It is true that most clubs are currently experiencing difficulties, with the possible exception of those in the English Premiership. The situation is tough for the representatives of all the other continents and as FIFA President, it is my job to make sure we can all go forward together.

Mr Joseph S. Blatter, on the Asian Cup in China
I have nothing but praise for China's performance. I saw them draw (1-1) with Bahrain, which was a good result since both sides went a long way in the competition. A basic human error cost China the Final, but that is part of the game and overall the Chinese enjoyed a successful tournament and I have no doubt that football will continue to develop in a country with 1.4 billion people.
Given that China is to host the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup and the Beijing Olympic Games the following year, it is likely that the country will one day play host to the FIFA World Cup.

Mr Joseph S. Blatter, on the signature of the agreement between FIFA and WADA
FIFA recognises the importance of the fight against doping and has expressed its full support for WADA. During the FIFA Centennial Congress in Paris last May, Mr Dick Pound and I signed a joint declaration, to which IOC President Mr Jacques Rogge also added his name.
FIFA considers one of the provisions of the declaration to be particularly important, and that is that proven cases of drug-use must be treated on an individual basis. Given this condition, FIFA was ready to accept the fundamental principles of the WADA Code.
Since then it has emerged that the WADA administration has spotted some problem with the signature, but as far as we are concerned that is merely an administrative  mistake - I don't know how it happened but it certainly should not detract from our willingness to sign this agreement.

M. Joseph S. Blatter, on the case of Mr Ivan Slavkov, the Bulgarian Olympic Committee member
FIFA accepts the IOC's decision to suspend Mr Ivan Slavkov. I must point out, however, that as far as FIFA is concerned, he remains the President of the Bulgaria Football Federation. We are waiting for the IOC to conduct an in-depth investigation into the case because we have to adhere to the fundamental principle that a person is innocent unless proven guilty.