Platini confident FIFA and clubs will make up
UEFA President Michel Platini is confident European clubs and FIFA, at loggerheads over the international calendar and insurance for players, will iron out their differences.
The European Clubs Association (ECA) has said it is boycotting talks on Monday with FIFA over the international calendar, saying progress with world football's governing body has been "disappointing."
Expressing surprise at the move, FIFA retorted that ECA members had missed previous meetings with FIFA committees "making it very difficult for progress to be made in discussions with the European clubs."
Platini, the head of European football, is remaining upbeat.
"I am confident that, despite the recent tensions between the ECA and FIFA, the FIFA president [Sepp Blatter] will find a solution that represents a win-win situation for all concerned," Platini said in a statement.
"His experience and determination to reach a compromise that satisfies everyone will enable the best interests of football to be safeguarded. It is through dialogue and unity that we will achieve this objective."
On Tuesday, the ECA announced it had reached an agreement with UEFA for an insurance policy covering the injury risk of players while on international team duty, starting at Euro 2012.
The ECA had previously demanded a similar policy from FIFA for the World Cup.
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UEFA also agreed to a 55 million euros payout for the clubs for the use of their players at Euro 2012.
"I am very satisfied with the outcome of these long months of negotiation," Platini said.
"This new Memorandum of Understanding will be presented to the UEFA Congress on March 22 and I have no doubt that, with the consent of the 53 UEFA member associations, it will enable European football to develop in an atmosphere of calm, as it has over the past five years."
However, Platini stressed that a further agreement with the clubs over the international calendar had to be approved by FIFA.
"Some parts of the agreement are, however, still pending as they fall under the exclusive, legitimate responsibility of FIFA, the governing body of world football. One such pending item is the international match calendar," he said.
ECA said UEFA had agreed to reduce the number of international dates to nine double-headers over a two-year period and to abolish the August friendly.