Poland’s Sports Ministry on Friday demanded that FIFA drop its deadline of tomorrow for the reinstatement of the suspended national soccer federation (PZPN) in a row that could see Poland serve a two-match World Cup ban.
“The talks between the Ministry of Sport and Tourism and the Polish Football Union will not be resumed until FIFA retracts its ultimatum,” senior Polish sports ministry official Adam Giersz said on Friday.
Giersz spoke after the latest in a string of inconclusive crisis talks on Friday between sports ministry officials and the deposed PZPN board. FIFA on Wednesday gave Poland until midday tomorrow to reinstate PZPN officials ousted by an Polish Olympic committee arbitration court or face Poland being banned from 2010 World Cup qualifiers scheduled for next Saturday and Oct. 15.
FIFA said on Friday night it had not changed its position and the deadline remained in effect. Both FIFA and UEFA have refused to recognize Robert Zawlocki, appointed by the arbitration court as an administrator to replace the deposed PZPN board. But on Friday Zawlocki told Polish media he had no intention of stepping down.
“The arbitration tribunal appointed me and only it has the power to remove me,” he said.
UEFA also reacted strongly to the situation in Poland, set to co-host the next UEFA European Championships in 2012 with Ukraine.
William Gaillard, UEFA’s director of communications, said on Friday: “Our patience has its limits and we are close to them.”
There is a possibility that UEFA could suspend Poland from European club matches, as Lech Poznan are in the UEFA Cup.
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