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FIFA institutes ban on high-altitude international games

FIFA has banned international games from being played more than 2,500m above sea level.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said the decision was taken on Sunday after a review by the medical team for world soccer's governing body.

Bolivia has held World Cup qualifiers at an altitude of about 3,600m in its capital La Paz. There has been criticism that Bolivia's advantage is not only unfair, but also endangers players' health.

Earlier this year, Brazilian club Flamengo said they would not play again at altitude after several of their players needed oxygen during a game staged at nearly 4,000m against Bolivian team Real Potosi.

Peru also has stadiums above 3,000m.

Speaking after a meeting of FIFA's executive committee, Blatter also reiterated his full support in South Africa's ability to hold the 2010 World Cup.

"I was fighting to bring the World Cup to Africa," he said. "Now, I am not fighting, I am confident we are doing it."

Blatter noted that the same objections arose from European and Latin American nations when the US held the World Cup in 1994.

"People said then that Americans didn't know what football was, but we taught them," Blatter said. "This is not the first time we have organized a World Cup."

Six South African government ministers will meet with Blatter and other top FIFA officials tomorrow, ahead of the FIFA World Congress being held tomorrow and Thursday in Zurich.

Blatter said he and other FIFA officials plan to visit South Africa from June 16-18 to check on progress in infrastructure upgrades.

Five of the 10 South African stadiums being built or upgraded for the 2010 World Cup are supposed to be finished by December next year -- but it is not yet clear that those deadlines will be met.

Blatter also said he still opposed the idea of national teams carrying commercial advertising on their shirts.

"As long as I can help it, I will see that national teams do not have advertising on their jerseys," Blatter said.

The FIFA president also welcomed Manchester United's decision to cancel a friendly game in Malaysia due to concerns it would distract from the Asian Cup, the region's flagship tournament to be held jointly in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam.

"We have been able to convince Manchester United of the fact that the international calendar reserves the second part of June and the entire month of July for competitions of confederations," Blatter said.

FIFA approved a match in honor of former South African president Nelson Mandela on July 18 -- his 89th birthday. Former African players will face a Rest of the World team in Cape Town, South Africa.

Meanwhile, Macedonia and Kazakhstan have been given until June 15 to reinstate federation officials removed in contravention of FIFA rules.

Blatter said, a FIFA emergency committee meeting could be called to discuss suspending the two countries from international fixtures.
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