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ESPNsoccernet: null | |
FIFA has insisted it is not putting television schedules ahead of players' health at the World Cup in Brazil by having matches played at times close to the midday sun.
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• FIFA release 2014 kick-off times
Several matches at the tournament will kick off as early as 1pm to suit European television audiences, who will be able to watch during the peak time of early evening.
This could cause problems for players not used to such conditions, with some venues in Brazil, particularly in the tropical north of the country, experiencing sweltering temperatures during the day.
However, FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke has jumped to the defence of world football's governing body, saying the health of the players has been taken into consideration.
"I can't even imagine why and how you could think we are making decisions thinking about the television and not thinking about the health of the players," he said. "Whatever we do is never right [for the media]. The match schedule was wrong, the kick-off times are wrong.
"The first thing we need is a good World Cup and to have a good World Cup we must make sure we have the best of football and to have the best of football, we need the best teams and the best game. Every decision we make takes into consideration the health of the players.''
Valcke pointed out that the huge distances in Brazil, as well as local organisers wanting the top teams to move around different parts of the country, made matters more difficult.
"We have made a decision to play in all Brazil because that was the request of Brazil," he added. "You have a country which is not a small country, it is a continent, where it can be two degrees and 26 degrees at the same time on the same day.
"Then you have to take these teams around the country because it was also a decision not to play in just in one region of the country but to travel all around the country to give all Brazilians the chance to enjoy England, Germany, Italy - whoever is qualified from the top teams and have a full picture of the World Cup.''
FIFA President Sepp Blatter weighed in on the argument adding the heat would not be a problem, comparing it to past World Cups in Latin America.
"The history of football has shown that great players can play in all conditions. In Mexico in 1970 and 1986, we played at high noon, at 2,400 metres and the quality of the game did not suffer," he said.
"You know that in difficult conditions, you can stop the game, you can cool down, and have drinks. You will remember 25 years ago, the referees said it was forbidden to drink water during the matches, and now all that has been changed because we want to take care of the health of the players.''
It has been said by some that the schedule appears to favour Brazil in terms of kick-off times but Valcke insists this was just a question of luck.
"The match schedule has not been organised just for Brazil to win this World Cup, but it is true they are lucky and playing in very good conditions,'' he added.