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FIFA substitution rule change draws flak

The change in the rules, which allow up to five substitutions per match, instead of the usual three, will be followed in all competitions which are due to finish by the end of this year.

FIFA

Bengaluru, May 9: FIFA's decision to temporarily allow up to five substitutions per match to help cope with potential fixture congestion as play resumes in the aftermath of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, has drawn flak from certain quarters with the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) and European Leagues raising their voice against it.

The change in the rules, which allow up to five substitutions per match, instead of the usual three, will be followed in all competitions which are due to finish by the end of this year and it will be up to individual competition organisers whether to implement it.

However CONMEBOL President Alejandro Dominguez, said the change has taken the federation completely by surprise and that they were not taken into confidence.

"This change has taken us by surprise, it wasn't made in consultation with our confederation," Dominguez tweeted.

Dominguez said CONMEBOL would call a panel of experts together to analyse the decision "to decide whether it is convenient adopting it in South American tournaments" such as the Copa Libertadores.

Meanwhile, European Leagues President Lars-Christer Olsson, whose members include 27 top-flight leagues said the coronavirus stoppage should not used as an excuse to end European football's Financial Fair Play rules or make opportunist changes to the international calendar.

He was also unimpressed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino's suggestion that this could be the time to reform the calendar and by vice-president Victor Montagliani's proposal that Europe could switch to a calendar-year season.

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"It is opportunistic because it's trying to change things by using the crisis as the reason and moving things in the direction of their own ideas, rather than having a proper decision-making process," said Olsson.

(With inputs from Agencies)

Story first published: Saturday, May 9, 2020, 9:27 [IST]
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