FIFA prepared on Friday to stand their ground in a turf war with top women soccer players, dismissing as 'nonsense' any suggestion that staging next year'sWorld Cup on artificial grass was 'discrimination'.
The bitter dispute between soccer's governing body and a group of players who have filed a lawsuit against FIFA and the Canadian Soccer Association continued to overshadow the buildup to Saturday's glitzy World Cup draw, for the June 5 to July 6 tournament in 2015, at six venues across Canada, all on artificial turf.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter, whose organisation has been dogged by a wave of scandals and controversy ranging from allegations of corruption in the 2018/2022 World Cup bidding process to the artificial turf row, will not attend the draw, leaving general secretaryJerome Valcke to field reporters questions at pre-draw press conference.
Despite persistent threats by players' attorneys, Valcke said FIFA had not 'yet been served' and would probably be advised to steer clear of the contentious subject.
