NEW DELHI: An Indian expert’s suggestion to split the 90minute game into three sessions of 30 minutes each with five minutes interval between each session was raised in the recent International Football Federation (FIFA) Congress by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) President, Mr Priya Ranjan Das Munshi.
Mr K.D. Thapar, former chief football coach at the National Institute of Sports, Patiala, put forward the new pattern after the FTFA President, Mr Joao Havelange, said he favoured extending the play time to 100 minutes with four breaks of five minutes each after every 25 minutes to facilitate better television coverage.
Mr. Thapar in an interview to PTT had also suggested a new form at after both the semifinals in the recent World Cup in Italy were decided in the penalty shootouts, and there was an outcry from famed coaches, players and soccer lovers against the present system.
Mr Thapar’s alternative format makes no changes in the first round played on a league basis. Nor is there any change in the total number of matches 52.
The main change is in the second round, which he calls super league and is also played on a league basis. Instead of 16 teams qualifying for the second round, only one best team from each group and two losing best team’s total eight teams will compete in the super league. From this stage the tournament will move straight to semifinals.
Mr Thapar has opened that in such a format no country can reach the final with “fluke victories as the Argentines did.”
Mr. Das Munshi said he raised Mr. Thapar’s suggestions in the FIFA congress which met on June 6 and 7.
He said FIFA would appoint a committee to study the various suggestions made and take a decision towards the end of this year.
However, he said he was “not much optimistic about any change in the present format.”
Mr. Das Munshi said the FIFA congress saw, for the first time, delegates from Asia and Africa putting up a united fight against the “European domination.”
India was selected by the Asian member countries as the continents chief spokesperson and Mr. Das Munshi spoke six times in the meeting, championing Asia’s cause. Mr. Al Memeri of Tanzania spoke on behalf of Africa.
“We wanted Britain to have only one member as in the United Nations, Olympic Council and many other international fora. “ Why four members in FIFA only?” he asked.
Mr. Das Munshi said while Britain had four members and one Vice President, Soviet Union too had one regular Vice President. Five out of six Vice Presidents are from Europe. “The whole of Asia have only one Vice President and two members. So also Africa.”
The AIFF chief said although Asia and Africa fought hard, they could not muster the two third majority needed to alter the FIFA Statute.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 17, 1990
