Sport

UEFA buy more time on transfers

Talks aimed at setting up a new transfer system have been postponed - but world and European football authorities yesterday rejected…

Fri Jan 12 2001 - 00:00

Talks aimed at setting up a new transfer system have been postponed - but world and European football authorities yesterday rejected claims transfers will have to be scrapped entirely.

A meeting between FIFA, UEFA and the European Commission was due to take place in Brussels today but has been cancelled after UEFA said they needed more time to look at new proposals.

Keith Cooper, communications director of world governing body FIFA, said: "We have the declaration from Nice on December 6th which acknowledges that sport, and football in particular, needs to be dealt with as a special case. That's what these discussions with the EC are all about."

Gordon Taylor, head of the international players' organisation FIFPRO, was also due to take part in the Brussels talks and he was disappointed at the postponement. "It is disappointing because I was optimistic we could sort things out," he said,

READ MORE

Dan Petrescu is set to become the first of the "Bradford City three" to leave Valley Parade after Southampton yesterday offered him the opportunity to stay in the Premiership.

The Romanian defender had talks with Southampton's manager Glenn Hoddle over an £800,000 sterling move last night after it was made clear this week that he, along with Stan Collymore and Benito Carbone, did not figure in the Bradford manager Jim Jefferies' plans.

Collymore has turned down a loan move to Sheffield United. "I thought it was worth a try," said the first division club's manager Neil Warnock.

Nottingham Forest have agreed a fee of around £3 million for Ipswich striker David Johnson. If 24year-old Johnson agrees personal terms and passes a medical within the next 24 hours, he could make his debut against Crystal Palace in the Division One clash at the City Ground on Sunday.

Diego Maradona, on arrival in Rome last night from Buenos Aires, was informed by tax police waiting for him at Fiumicino airport that he was being investigated for an alleged tax fraud of around 24.6 million dollars. Maradona promptly laid the blame for the problem at the door of his former club side Napoli.