United admit defeat on controversial tour
KUALA LUMPUR: Premier League champions Manchester United yesterday bowed to pressure from the Asian Football Confederation and called off their planned match in Malaysia in July.
The decision followed talks here Wednesday between AFC president Mohamed bin Hammam, Premier League chairman Sir Dave Richards and Manchester United chief executive David Gill.
"This match is a key element of the Malaysian government's celebrations of its 50 years of independence and presents a marvellous opportunity for us to play in front of our many Malaysian fans," United said in a statement.
"Unfortunately, new information has come to the club's attention concerning the FAM's (Football Association of Malaysia's) agreement with the AFC to act as host for the Asian Cup, which means the club cannot play the game without the official approval of the AFC."
United said the only way the match could go ahead was if the AFC changed its mind.
An AFC official yesterday said its position remained unchanged - that the match cannot take place while the Asian Cup is on from July 7-29.
All four Asian Cup host nations - Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam - made pledges to the AFC that they would not hold or promote any other soccer matches during the flagship tournament.
Bin Hammam has warned the FAM it faces "wide-ranging legal repercussions" for failing to toe the AFC line, although he has not made clear what they might be.
His fear is that a club of United's magnitude would draw attention away from the region's most prestigious football tournament, held every four years.
However, the rest of United's Asia tour to South Korea, Japan and Macau is set to go ahead despite AFC calls for it to be postponed.
The Malaysian climbdown, though, is a victory for the AFC, which had the backing of FIFA president Sepp Blatter, and a slap in the face for the FAM and the government, which invited United as part of their independence celebrations.
"We are sad if they are not coming," said Malaysian Tourism Minister Tengku Adnan Mansor.
"We have already spoken to the AFC a couple of times, but the trouble with the AFC is that they are not compromising. The final is not even played in Malaysia so I am confused and upset."
The minister added that the government was attempting to reach the club and talk to them.
"We've got to find out why they are not coming. I have not spoken to them. As far as the government is concerned, we want them to come."
AFP
(China Daily 05/25/2007 page23)
