valencia-soccer news

FIFA allows Spanish league to postpone deadline for matches

FIFA has agreed to let the Spanish league play its final games of the season beyond the May 15 deadline.

    The Spanish soccer federation said Tuesday that soccer's governing body accepted a proposal to rearrange a fixture delay caused by FC Barcelona and Sevilla reaching the Champions League and UEFA Cup finals.

    Three games will be played after the FIFA-imposed limit, which was intended to allow players preparation time for the June 9-July9 World Cup.

    On May 16, Sevilla will host Real Madrid, and Valencia will visit Osasuna in games affecting the Champions League qualifying places. All four teams will be able to field their international players.

    The league season will conclude on May 20 when champion FC Barcelona visits Athletic Bilbao. Although it won't be able to field any of its international players, Barcelona has already won the title and will barely be affected as the game has no important bearing on the standings.

    Barcelona's game with Sevilla, whose postponement last month added to the jam, will now be played on May 13, along with seven more matches.

    FIFA told the federation last week that Barcelona and Sevilla had to play on May 20 in what would have been the final game of the season.

    However, other Spanish clubs claimed this would have favored Sevilla, which is challenging for a Champions League place, because Barcelona would have been forced to field a depleted team lacking all its World Cup players.

    Spain's Football League made a legal appeal against a FIFA ruling, although this will now be withdrawn. Enditem