Soccer: Foot-and-mouth threat to international football

Fifa has admitted the spread of foot-and-mouth is becoming a threat to international football.

There are fears for the World Cup qualifying campaign, following news the crisis has reached the Republic of Ireland.

Fifa said they are waiting on advice from health authorities.

Major European competitions, in which English clubs are facing foreign trips, may also be at risk.

Confirmed reports of two foot-and-mouth cases at Ravensdale, close to the border with Northern Ireland, now throws the Republic's World Cup group, which also features Holland, Portugal, Estonia, Cyprus and Andorra, into confusion.

Football Association of Ireland chief executive Bernard O' Byrne admitted it is possible that four ties up to and including their Dublin meeting with Holland on September 1 may be in jeopardy.

All domestic sport in Ireland has been abandoned for the last four weeks in a bid to prevent the spread of the disease from Britain.

The sporting programme had been due to start up again this weekend - although not horse racing and greyhound racing.

Keith Cooper, FIFA's director of communications, says: "We are aware that some sports, notably rugby, have taken the spread of foot-and-mouth extremely seriously. There is no reason why soccer should not either.

"We will be advised by the people who know best, the health authorities, when they bring the matter to us. It would be wrong to pre-empt what will happen."

But Mr O'Byrne, speaking about the problem in Ireland, said: "It is hard to see a contingency for this. It looks ominous for everyone. You have to say, even at this early stage, we could postpone as far ahead as our game with Holland in Dublin in September."