Birmingham City FC

• Nickname:
• Founded:1875
• Manager:Alex McLeish

• Ground:
• Capacity:NaN

McLeish blasts back at Blatter

11 Mar 2008 - 09:54:51

Click To Enlarge

Fuming Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish has hit out at Sepp Blatter for criticising Martin Taylor.

The FIFA president had said that football's world governing body would consider extending the three-match ban Taylor received for his tackle that left Arsenal's Eduardo with a broken leg and dislocated ankle.

An angry McLeish said: "I'm disappointed with Sepp Blatter.

"He's in a job just now where, if he were to look at every tackle every week in every European game, even across the globe, he'd be out of a job because he would have to ban everyone.

"It's disappointing a man of that standing is saying things like that.

"He's in the game because of football and teams and the way it is. For him to say that, is poor for a man of his stature and disappointing.

"As for a further suspension, he could go to court with that one and he would fail 100 per cent. They have no jurisdiction over this.

"He has probably seen the extent of Eduardo's injury and some of the pictures in the papers and he has been horrified because of that.

"The people who know the game know it wasn't a malicious tackle, simple as that.

"Why is he talking about it? For me, there could be a hidden agenda here and he's having a go at the English game. I think he thinks the English game is too robust."