PRESENCE OF AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIAN NATIONAL TEAMS IN SAME GROUP IN 2008 EUROPEAN CUP IS OUR FAULT: UEFA HEAD (VIDEO)

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
Oct 17 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku / corr Trend Z.Safarov / The presence of Azerbaijani
and Armenian national teams in the same group of the European Cup 2008
is our fault, Michel Platini, head of UEFA, said at a news conference
in Baku.

He said that the issue regarding the match between the two teams has
been analyzed in detail and afterwards UEFA made the decision not to
hold the qualifying matches.

"We are aware of the situation and will try to avoid the further
presence of Azerbaijan and Armenia in one group in the qualifying
round of the World Championship in 2010," Platini said.

In turn FIFA Head Joseph Blatter said that sports should be far
from politics. "At this moment there evolves an idea to present
Afghanistan a quota at the Olympic games. Another example can be the
recent victory of the Iraqi national team at the recent Asian Cup.

Sports, particularly football should unite people," Blatter said.