Everything that happens in European football has an influence on global football. Can you conceive football without the national teams or the national associations? It would mean the collapse of the whole pyramid of football because of the elitism of a few.

It is what a lot of clubs want at the moment. We need to reduce football so that there is a better balance between club and international football. That would mean more recovery time for the players.

The FIFA World Cup is the perfect platform to send out this message to the whole world of football as people all around the globe will follow the 64 matches in Germany. The stars of the tournament will serve as role models for hundreds of millions of other players around the world. So it is all the more important that Germany 2006 sets a positive example.

I am so disappointed. It is a shame for football that in the year 2006, you still have racism.

I have been given a very clear mandate with a high responsibility to reinstall harmony and confidence in the football family inside in order to gain credibility outside,

Because I love football and I love the footballers.