As you probably know, in 2002 it was said that France wasn’t able to qualify from the group because the players were too tired from their club matches. This is the same reason reiterated when everybody was talking about the lack of results of Spanish national team. Well, FIFA announced a surprise move: a cut-off day to give players time to rest before the World Cup.

The cut-off date has been introduced to give players time to recover before the start of the 2006 World Cup in Germany on June 9.

The one exception to the deadline will be the European Champions League final, which has been moved forward by a week to May 17.

“The 23 players on the list (for each of the 32 participating nations) will not be available for any other competition (after this date),” FIFA general secretary Urs Linsi said on Tuesday.

As you can see, all the premises for a great World Cup are now fulfilled. Let’s get ready to rumble!

Source: Reuters.co.uk