A Sepp too far?

I've tried, really tried to keep my own cousel over this issue: the tackle that's been dominating the sports pages for the last month which left Arsenal and Croatian forward, Eduardo, needing career-saving surgery after a challenge by Birmingham City's Martin Taylor. I agree it was a horrendous challenge and Taylor rightly deserved a red card and a three-match ban.

What it does not warrant is public discussion over whether Martin Taylor should be banned for life or criminally charged. This is FIFA President Sepp Blatter's view, that the three-match ban isn't long enough and that tackles of a similar nature should be viewed the same as criminal attacks. I'm sorry, but Mr Blatter has lost the plot completely. Football is a contact sport and has been since its official conception back in the 19th Century.

It's unfortunate what happened to Eduardo. I wish him a speedy and successful recovery, as do football fans everywhere, no doubt. As for Martin Taylor, he'll be reminded by this incident throughout his career, because some people won't let it lie. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger blasted the challenge immediately after the match but has since retracted his comments about Taylor saying it was in the heat of the moment.

That should've been the end of the subject until Eduardo made a full recovery. Then three weeks later Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas whined to the press that a three-match ban was unfair and that Taylor should be banned for longer. This got FIFA and the ridiculous Blatter involved - more on him later.

I'm a Birmingham fan and I'll support Martin Taylor, although I'm not condoning the tackle. But there seems to be an increase in the kinds of players who moan and complain about the physical side of the game. Unfortunately it appears to be the overseas players who are the most consistant in raising these issues.

So then, how come players like Ricardo Carvalho, William Gallas, and Michael Essien seem to get away with similar challenges to the Taylor incident, and even as recent as last night when Chelsea's Ashley Cole went in high on Spur's Alan Hutton? The end result was different, there was no major injury. So these players are free to get away with it in the next game, also, I believe, because they play for the big clubs.

Don't believe me? Jeremie Aliadiere of Middleborough gets sent off for violent conduct against Liverpool and has his ban increased to four games. Frank Lampard of Chelsea is involved in a similar incident against West Ham and gets his red card rescinded! Double standards for the rich and the poor in England's top division methinks.

Let me leave you with this little gem from Sepp Blatter (who has today repeated his request for the English FA to re-evaluate the length of Martin Taylor's ban*). It has been reported this week that Mr Blatter wants the Bolivian national team to stop playing football matches in the capital La Paz because he believes the high altitude (3,600m) is giving them an unfair advantage against opponents who struggle against them.

Now let me get this straight. He wants a national team to stop playing in their nations capital city because of it's geographical location?????? Anyone with the tiniest bit of common sense knows you need to acclimatise if doing anything strenuous at such levels - it's one of the basic physical requirements. It's not like Bolivia are even that successful in the grand scheme of things. Mr Blatter is either bored or has clearly lost his mind, I can find no other explanation for him sticking his beak into matters that don't concern him.

Good luck with the recovery Eduardo.

* In the short time this article has been online, it has been announced that FIFA will not be taking any further action. Hopefully this puts the matter to rest.