POSTED: Thursday December 3rd 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FIFA Executive Committee holds historic meeting in Robben Island

The meeting was opened with an emotive speech from Tokyo Sexwale, former prisoner in Robben Island and currently a member of FIFA’s Committee for Fair Play and Social Responsibility.

The FIFA Executive Committee held today a     very special meeting in Robben Island, Cape Town, the place where Nelson     Mandela spent 18 years in prison during the apartheid era in South Africa     and where the inmates founded the Makana Football Association, recognised     by FIFA as its first honorary member association in 2007. The meeting was     opened with an emotive speech from Tokyo Sexwale, former prisoner in     Robben Island and currently a member of     FIFA’s Committee for Fair Play and Social Responsibility.  

The committee approved     the increase of prize money for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ to     USD 420 million, as compared to USD 261.4 million (at the time CHF 332     million) in 2006. The winner will receive USD 30 million, while the     runner-up will obtain USD 24 million, semi-finalist teams USD 20 million     and quarter-finalists USD 18 million. Teams that reach the     Round of 16 will get USD 9 million, while those eliminated in the group     stage of the final competition will receive USD 8 million.    

In addition, each of the 32     qualified teams will be granted USD 1 million for preparation costs.     Finally, USD 40 million will be provided by FIFA via the member     associations to the clubs whose players will take part in the 2010 FIFA     World Cup as a contribution to their participation in the competition. For     a comparison with the 2006 FIFA World Cup prize money, please see:     http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/media/newsid=101786.html.    

Following the recommendation of the     Olympic football working group, the Executive Committee agreed to keep the     current system of limiting to under 23 players and up to three overage     players the men’s Olympic football tournament of London     2012.

The committee also decided to ratify the     suspension imposed on the Iraqi Football Association by the FIFA Emergency     Committee on 20 November 2009 due to governmental interference. Regarding     the Kuwait Football Association (KFA), it was agreed to give the KFA a     period of two months, with deadline on 31 January 2010, to make sure that     the association is in line with the FIFA Statutes. The committee also     examined the cases of Samoa,     El Salvador and     Togo, which will continue to be     monitored by FIFA.

Other decisions taken by the Executive     Committee:

-              to increase the number of teams     participating in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup from 16 to 24, in order     to promote the further development of the women’s game     worldwide

-              suspensions carried over from the FIFA     Club World Cup will be served at the next official match of the club     concerned

Finally, the committee received reports     from all the FIFA competitions and standing committee meetings held since     the previous meeting of the Executive Committee held in Rio de Janeiro on 29     September 2009. The next meeting of the FIFA Executive Committee will be     held on 18 and 19 March 2010 in Zurich.

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Keywords · FIFA · Robben Island · 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africaâ„¢

Name: Nicolas Maingot
Organization: FIFA
Email:
Phone: +41-43/222 7272
URL: http://www.fifa.com/index.html

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