ZURICH (Switzerland), March 7: A South American proposal to increase the size of the 2006 World Cup finals from 32 teams to 36 has been forwarded by FIFA to the organisers in Germany, world soccer’s governing body said on Friday.

South American federation CONMEBOL, which lost a playoff place last December after a shake-up in the allocation system, sent a proposal to FIFA suggesting an extra four teams should compete in the finals in Germany.

FIFA’s executive committee looked at the proposal during its meeting this week and president Sepp Blatter has now asked event organisers for their opinions.

“The South Americans do not agree with the distribution of slots decided in Madrid in December and they have come to Europe with a proposal,” Blatter told reporters.

“They suggested the World Cup in Germany can be played with 36 teams and we have taken note. Being open-minded we have sent it (the proposal) into Germany’s court.

“Therefore the German organisers will have to deal with the problems (of it) and send it back to Zurich.”

FIFA’s vice-president Julio Grondona, of Argentina, made the proposal after South America lost half a place to Oceania.

That decision by FIFA’s executive committee was met with discontent by the 10 members of CONMEBOL at the time before a proposal was put together aimed at gaining back the place.

CONMEBOL previously had four automatic qualification places and a playoff with Oceania.

Under the new format Brazil will also have to qualify after FIFA took away the automatic place for the World Cup holders.

Blatter said organisers would have to weigh up all the options, including television, stadiums and funding, before a decision is made on the CONMEBOL suggestion.

“We are not there yet, we need to look at all the parameters,” Blatter added. “The organisers need to look at marketing matters, television, stadiums and guarantees.

“We need to discuss the impact. They (the South Americans) had to write with proposals but no other decision has been made since the executive committee in December.”

The executive committee will discuss the 2006 finals further in a general meeting on May 3, Blatter said.—Reuters