FIFA seeks report on Egypt tragedy Friday, 03 February 2012 03:15

GENEVA: World football’s governing body FIFA yesterday called on Egyptian authorities to deliver a full report on the post-match violence that killed 74 football fans.

“FIFA is in mourning and our thoughts are with the families of all those who lost their lives. Furthermore, FIFA has asked the Egyptian authorities for a full report on the incidents in order to evaluate what happened,” it said in a statement. The football body noted: “It is important to recall that FIFA has established strict safety regulations for all of its competitions.”

FIFA said the regulations are not only “guidelines for competitions and matches not organised by FIFA” but that organisers and local authorities need “to apply their own safety regulations”.

FIFA offered “its full support to the Egyptian Football Association and will provide the EFA with any assistance it needs with regard to this tragedy.”

The president of FIFA Sepp Blatter in a letter to the head of the EFA, Samir Zaher, said: “Today is a black day for football and we must take steps to ensure that such a catastrophe never happens again. “Football is a force for good and we must not allow it to be abused by those who mean evil.”

The FIFA president said he would await further news from Zaher regarding the tragedy. Egypt began three days of mourning after the deaths following an eruption of violence at a football match that sparked new anger against the military rulers for failing to ensure security.

The rioting in the northern city of Port Said on Wednesday night marked one of the deadliest incidents in football history and sent shares on the Cairo stock exchange plunging in yesterday trade.

Meanwhile, Tunisia star Adel Chedli says that rather than being expelled from the Tunisia camp he decided to quit after relations with coach Sami Trabelsi broke down. On Wednesday reports from the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finalists’ team management said the 2004 titlewinner and Carthage Eagles veteran had been kicked out for dissent.

“Chedli is finished. He was on the bench for the first two matches, and suggested Tunisia’s (2-1) win over Niger wasn’t ‘logical’. He watched last night’s (Tuesday) game against Gabon from the stands,” a source in the Tunisian camp disclosed. Agencies

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