The laws which Burga refers to are FIFA’s complete non-acceptance of a country’s government flexing their muscle over its football association. A similar situation came to a head recently in Poland.
FIFA had threatened to withdraw Poland from international competition when the Polish government appointed an administrator to oversee the running of their football association (PZPN).
With Poland staring down the barrel at losing their right to co-host the 2012 European Championships the government and the PZPN worked together to hold a transparent election for a new president of the football association.
The election of Grzegorz Lato appeased the government, the PZPN and more importantly FIFA and allowed Poland to continue their qualifying campaign for South Africa 2010 and plan for their share of the 2012 European Championships.
FIFA made it clear that it would not stand for anymore funny business from the Poles and stated, “Football’s world governing body will work closely with PZPN for the good of the game in Poland.”
Peru on the other hand has already been stripped of their right to host the 2009 South American under-20 Championship as a result of the Burga saga.
This cautionary tale is the latest twist for Peruvian football which has been on the slide since the dizzy heights of Cubillas, Chumpitaz and co. Peru reached the quarter-finals of Mexico 1970 and featured again in 1978 and 1982. Sadly they have not qualified for the World Cup finals since they were last held in Spain.
Presently Peru sit bottom of the 10-team South American qualifying group with little to no chance of reaching the finals in South Africa. They will however be reinstated to compete in the remaining games and their current suspension is a mark of the tactile political game FIFA are capable of playing.
Peru’s next qualifying game does not take place until March and that gives time enough for the whole mess to blow over. Indeed Eduardo de Luca is confident the issue will be resolved at FIFA’s next executive committee meeting which takes place in Tokyo in December.
In the meantime there were blanks next the Peruvian teams in today’s draw for the 2009 Copa Libertadores (The South American Champions League).
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