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Greek FA receives FIFA suspension
YOUR E-MAIL ALERTSBERLIN, Germany -- FIFA have suspended Greece from all footballing activities, citing continued government interference in the running of the Greek FA. The ruling means that the national side and club teams are banned from playing any international friendly or competitive matches or any international club matches until the country conforms to FIFA and UEFA regulations. FIFA warned the Greek government at its Congress last September that it would be suspended from membership unless the autonomy of the Greek FA was respected. In a statement on Monday FIFA said there was no possibility of this happening by the imposed deadline of July 15 and the disciplinary committee had suspended Greece as a result. "In spite of repeated warnings from both FIFA and UEFA, the commitment expressed by Greek government representatives to amend the law on sport to irrevocably recognise that football matters can only be decided by the Greek FA and its subordinated football structures has not been respected," FIFA said. Greek FA chief Vassilis Gagatsis, who has repeatedly clashed with Sports Minister George Orfanos over the non-independence matter, refused to comment. Orfanos has triggered the wrath of the Greek FA and FIFA after drafting a sports law shortly after the conservatives came to power in 2004 that the FA claims compromises its independence. Orfanos had repeatedly publicly pledged to revise the law but never did. A Greek FA source said they had warned the sports minister of the dangers of pursuing such a law. "He (sports minister) even went to Switzerland and tried to ease FIFA's concerns and promised them various things which of course he did not do," said the source. "We are now in a position to have a team (AEK Athens) playing a Champions League qualifying match very soon. There is a Greek team in the Intertoto competition and Greek referees scheduled to officiate international matches. They will obviously not go ahead as planned," the source said. "The only way to lift this ban is to change the law. It is as easy and as difficult as that. This is just disastrous," Greece were due to open the new season with a friendly international against England on August 12 -- and start their qualifying campaign for the Euro 2008 championship on September 2 away to Moldova. Greece are the European champions but failed to qualify for the World Cup finals. 
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