Blatter hits out at Fergie's Olympic opposition

FIFA president Sepp Blatter today poured scorn on Alex Ferguson’s failed attempts to persuade Cristiano Ronaldo and Gabriel Heinze against playing at the Olympics.

But he did admit urgent action needs to be taken over the amount of football the game’s leading stars are required to play.

Ferguson warned Portugal’s Ronaldo and Heinze, the Argentinian who only signed for the club in the summer, that their future careers at Old Trafford could be placed in jeopardy if they played in the Olympic football tournament.

Both players are now in Greece, preparing for the tournament which begins on Wednesday, and Ferguson’s warnings received a stern rebuke from Blatter.

The president of football’s world governing body even advised the Manchester United boss his team might benefit from a change of managerial policy on releasing players for international duty.

“To tell players like Heinze and Ronaldo to not go to the Olympics because they could lose their job when they come back is definitely not in the spirit of solidarity,” said Blatter.

“This is not fair. The spirit of solidarity means you should say: ‘Go – and try to come back with a good experience. Try to come back without any injuries.

“Pay attention to yourself but bring back the experience of the Olympics, bring back the spirit into my team. And if you do that then everyone will take you back in your team with open arms’.

“This will be good for the football team. This is what a coach should say. This is my message.”

Ferguson’s concern is that both Ronaldo and Heinze run the risk of burn-out after making the finals of Euro 2004 and the Copa America with Portugal and Argentina respectively.

Blatter conceded that FIFA need to address the issue that players are being asked to play too many games and promised that the Committee for Strategic Studies, which meets on October 5-6, would work “until 3am” each night to find a solution if need be.

Blatter, who yesterday was reported in L’Equipe as insisting that all top leagues be reduced to 18 teams, suggested an annual limit on the number of games a player can play.

He would not be drawn on a specific figure but did state the game’s leading clubs must be forced to adhere to any recommendations that come out of the October meeting.

Blatter insisted that the “solidarity” was improving, even though Australia’s Craig Moore has placed his own club career on the line at Rangers by choosing to play for the Socceroos, while Serbia & Montenegro are the only side here not have selected any overage players, because of a conflict with the clubs.

“There is always a conflict of interest between clubs, who pay the players’ wages, and the national associations who want players in the national team,” said Blatter.

“It must be a balance. Solidarity is now better and if solidarity is better you can convince the national associations to implement what we try to do for the best of football.”

Despite the arguments over player availability, Blatter insisted the Olympic football tournament, with each team allowed just three players over the age of 23, forms a key role in the global development of football.

“I think this is the future,” he said.