FIFA seeding policy reeks of favouritism for big names

9:17am Thursday 15th October 2009

By Jo Rooney

Has there ever been anything more predictable than FIFA deciding the European World Cup play-offs will be seeded?

(Well, maybe England losing to Ukraine in a meaningless, untelevised match on Saturday but that’s another story).

The play-offs have always been a lottery - a reward or lifeline, depending on your point of view, for finishing second in your group and one final chance to dine at the top table.

But, faced with the spectre of some of football’s biggest names missing next year’s tournament in South Africa, the governing body has shrewdly tipped the scales in their favour.

After all, imagine what the sponsors would think if their fat cheques didn’t stretch to the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry and Michael Ballack.

Relax, fellas, the latter is definitely coming after Germany pulled off a hard-fought win in Russia – and, thanks to FIFA, the other two are also likely to be there.

Shakespeare would say there’s something rotten in the state of Denmark, although perhaps, given the Danes have qualified, in the state of Ireland.

Giovanni Trapattoni’s green army have bucked the odds to secure a runners-up place in a tough group eight but they now have a 50 per cent chance of meeting Portugal or France in a play-off, as opposed to a 29 per cent chance had the draw been completely random.

Besides, it’s the principle. Why should any team be given a helping hand when they’ve made exactly the same achievement as seven others team?

That’s why Concacaf have 3.5 World Cup qualification places allotted to them, to ensure the United States – with their massive television viewing audience – are present every four years.

Meanwhile, poor old Oceania have a miserly half a place, meaning the team who tops the standings still have to come through a two-legged play-off each time.

Australia got so sick of the injustice that, despite the incredible achievement of knocking out Uruguay in 2005, they opted to go through Asia this time round.

The result was becoming one of the first teams on the plane to South Africa, three months before all the hype about England winning the tournament began.

The European play-offs take place next month, with the draw happening in Zurich on Monday.

And that’s not just because I know Australia can beat them, having won 3-0 in August!