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INTERNATIONAL GAMES COULD BE CUT
The number of international matches played every year is likely tobe slashed after European clubs and UEFA reached an agreement onproposals to change the international calendar.

The deal would see an average of nine international matches played ayear rather than 12, with nine double-headers over a two-year periodand no one-off friendlies such as England v Holland on Wednesday night.

However, FIFA have to ratify the deal and that remains a stumblingblock after the European Clubs' Association (ECA) last week announced aboycott on further talks after the world governing body steadfastlyrefused to accept the clubs' demands.

The compromise deal was announced at the European Clubs' Association(ECA) general assembly in Warsaw on Tuesday - the clubs last yeardemanded the number of internationals be halved to six a year.

UEFA also agreed to take out insurance to cover the wages of allplayers injured on international duty, starting at Euro 2012, and toincrease the amount of money paid to clubs for their players takingpart in the tournament.

The amount was 55 million euros for the last tournament and the newfigure - a "substantial increase" according to the ECA - will beannounced next month.

ECA chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge confirmed however that the clubs' boycott on talks with FIFA still stands.

Rummenigge said: "The agreement with UEFA is a major breakthrough for European club football.

"With this agreement, UEFA clearly recognises the importance ofclubs and the significant contribution they make to the success ofnational team football.

"The negotiations have not always proved easy, but were alwaysconducted in a fair and respectful manner. I sincerely thank UEFA, inparticular UEFA president Michel Platini, on behalf of all Europeanclubs and look forward to our continued co-operation.

"This is once more proof that in the European football family solutions can be found in a co-operative and fair way."

He added: "While an agreement has been reached with UEFA, the situation remains unsatisfactory in relation to FIFA.

"Unfortunately, discussions with the FIFA president have failed tolead to a satisfactory outcome which takes account of the clubs'demands."

The agreement on the proposals of the international calendar would see the unpopular friendly date in August ditched.

In terms of the insurance, the ECA said in a statement: "UEFA willestablish starting June 2012, for the start of the EURO inPoland/Ukraine, an insurance covering the injury risk of players whileon international team duty.

"This insurance is valid for all players registered with a Europeanclub, irrespective of their nationality, and for all matches mentionedin the international calendar, including both official and friendlymatches."

The ECA statement added that in future, the clubs will have a'referral right' meaning they have to give their consent to alldecisions affecting European club football.

The clubs have however been unable to persuade UEFA to back them intheir opposition to the timing of the African Nations Cup in Januaryand February. The agreement merely states that the tournament "shallstart as soon as possible in January".

In response, FIFA pointed out that only they have the power to make changes to the calendar.

A statement said: "FIFA is surprised by recent comments made by ECAstating that they are not satisfied with their discussions withfootball's world governing body regarding topics of interest to theEuropean clubs, including the international match calendar.

"ECA representatives are in fact members of several FIFA committeesand are always invited to take part in the discussions on such topics,together with representatives from clubs of other confederations.

"FIFA remains, as always, willing to discuss with ECA on thesetopics, as it does with all other stakeholders in the world footballcommunity.

"Finally, FIFA would like to recall that the international dates andthe international match calendar have to be applied on a worldwidebasis and that this calendar is ultimately regulated by FIFA, asfootball's world governing body."

The next meeting to discuss the international match calendar will beon March 5 but UEFA will have to put forward the ECA's position.

FIFA added: "Both ECA chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and ECA generalsecretary Michele Centenaro are members of this working group and havebeen invited to attend the meeting, but have declined to take part inthe meeting.

"ECA representatives have previously declined attendance to otherFIFA committee meetings, making it very difficult for progress to bemade in discussions with the European clubs."