SOCCER:THE ENGLISH Premier League were forced into a major climbdown last night over plans for an international round of fixtures, cancelling a meeting with Fifa president Sepp Blatter at 36 hours' notice and effectively killing off the prospects of Game 39 proceeding in its current form.

The league cancelled plans to meet Blatter tomorrow after intense negotiations between chief executive Richard Scudamore and Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke aimed at preventing the league being humiliated in Zurich.

In a series of conversations this week, Valcke is understood to have told Scudamore there was little to be gained by going ahead with the meeting. With Blatter vehemently opposed to the idea and offended at a lack of consultation prior to the plans being made public last month, the Fifa president planned to simply restate his opposition.

At a press conference due to be held after the meeting, there was every chance Blatter would use the opportunity to pour further scorn on proposals that have met with disapproval in Britain and abroad.

The compromise agreed by Valcke and Scudamore yesterday enables the Premier League to back down with some dignity intact, and buys time to reassess plans.

It also prevents the row overshadowing the launch of England's 2018 World Cup bid, expected next month, and Fifa have agreed the matter will not be on the agenda at their executive committee meeting next month, or crucially at the Fifa congress in May, a valuable 2018 lobbying opportunity.

The league insisted last night the international round was still alive, and claimed that the indefinite postponement of the meeting gave breathing room in which to refine the idea.

Fifa's view, however, is that the plans in their current form are dead, and any future proposal to take competitive games abroad would have to be radically different from Game 39.

In a statement, the Premier League acknowledged they had failed to attract the required support, and said they would seek the backing of international confederations and Fifa before making new proposals. The league also acknowledged that a failure to consult more closely with Fifa and others before the plans were made public had been a mistake.

"It is our considered view following these discussions that we need to conduct further internal studies and consultation before seeking the advice of the world governing body Fifa and the key confederations," the league said.

"This project is still very much in its infancy, was always subject to development, clarification and wide consultation, and we remain disappointed that these facts and many others were lost when early opinions were formed by many without any detailed knowledge."

The league also accepted that Fifa approval was fundamental, in contrast to their position three weeks ago when it was felt Fifa sanction was not a prerequisite.

"There never has been a rush to conclude these matters and we are more than willing to take time to develop our proposals further before seeking approval, without which it is not our intention to proceed."

In a coordinated response, Fifa issued an emollient statement, welcoming the league's decision to withdraw from the meeting and praising their "constructive" approach: "Fifa welcomes the Premier League's decision and initiative (to cancel the meeting), which re-establishes the positive and constructive relations between the FA, the FA Premier League and world football's governing body.

"Fifa . . . thanks the Premier League leadership for its constructive approach."

Tellingly, though, for the first time since the plans were made, a league source accepted that the international round might not now happen.

The FA made no comment last night, but privately many will be delighted at the development, which vindicates the decision by chairman David Triesman to publicly express his reservations.

• Guardian Service

Game 39 Countdown to climbdown

Feb 7th: It is announced English Premier League clubs had unanimously agreed to further examine a proposal that would create a new round of 10 competitive fixtures to be played across the world over one weekend in January, beginning in the 2010-11 season.

Feb 8th: Fifa confirm they intend to examine the proposals at their executive committee meeting on March 14th. British prime minister Gordon Brown urges the Premier League to "listen to the fans".

Feb 9th: Uefa president Michel Platini describes the proposals as "comical".

The Football Supporters' Federation announce plans for a campaign entitled "No to Game 39", with "local action" at every top-flight ground.

Feb 10th: Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore refuses to rule out the possibility of playing more than one round of matches on foreign soil at some point in the future.

Feb 12th: The South Korean FA intimate they would be unwilling to stage a match if it proved detrimental to their domestic competition.

Feb 13th: Scudamore insists he has the full support of Premier League clubs.

Feb 14th: Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone believes the Premier League will never be able to sell the likes of Wigan to a global market - and offers to organise a "big four" mini-tournament.

Feb 15th: Fifa president Sepp Blatter blasts the Premier League's plans and vows to block the proposals, saying: "This will never happen - at least . . . as long as I am the president of Fifa." He also warns that if the Premier League push ahead it could torpedo England's bid for the 2018 World Cup.

The FA express "serious reservations" over the Premier League's proposal.

Feb 21st: The FA claim the Premier League's proposal is "unsustainable" in its current format.

Feb 26th: Premier League pull out of their trip to see Blatter because they want more time to develop their plans.