Many of the national teams coaches complain that the mid-May deadline for announcing their teams for the World Cup is too early and would like it to be moved a lot later.

Most World Cup coaches want the deadline for naming World Cup squads pushed back from mid-May until shortly before the tournament starts.

After a two-day meeting of team officials, Lennart Johansson, the UEFA president, and Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira said there was considerable backing for the May 15 deadline shifting to late May or early June. The tournament starts on June 9. Johansson said a decision on the issue would be made at a FIFA executive committee meeting on March 16 in Zurich.

This would give the coaches some more time to decide on the players that will play in the World Cup and, more, will help them avoid calling injured players, since most club championship will be already over.

Johannson, who is a FIFA vice-president, said the message from the coaches came through clearly in Duesseldorf. “We know the wishes from the coaches,” he said. “It will be discussed in the coming fortnight before we make a final decision on March 16.

“Otto Pfister, a German national who coaches Togo, said that there appeared to be no opposition among the 32 coaches. Some were in favour of it while it didn’t matter to others,” he said.

Source: sabcnews