LONDON, July 1: England and Turkey could be thrown out of the 2004 European Championships and 2006 World Cup if there is crowd trouble at the Euro 2004 qualifier in Istanbul in October, European football chief Lennart Johansson has warned.
The UEFA president told the Daily Telegraph newspaper, his organisation was “very worried” about the match in Istanbul on October 11.
England’s Football Association had already been warned that they faced a ban from Euro 2004 if there was a repeat of the scenes which followed the game against Turkey at Sunderland in April.
UEFA is also considering bringing disciplinary proceedings against the Turkish Football Association following crowd disturbances at the Group 7 qualifier against Macedonia in June.
Turkish fans allegedly threw missiles onto the pitch and at Macedonian players in the game in which the Turks came back from a goal down to win 3-2.
One sanction for the match with England on October 11 would be to play the game behind closed doors.
The UEFA disciplinary body meets on Thursday.
World Cup semifinalists Turkey came back from 2-1 down to win the match 3-2 and still lead Group 7, two points ahead of England, who beat Slovakia 2-1.
Only one team is guaranteed a place in the finals in Portugal in 2004 with the runner-up taking its chances in a play-off.
Johansson warned any ban could extend beyond next year’s tournament in Portugal.
“We hope nothing happens, but if there are problems then the matter will be discussed at the organising committee of the World Cup and of course for 2004,” he said.
“Participation in all the international competitions will have to be reconsidered. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
Johansson will be in Turkey for the Group Seven qualifier and admitted UEFA fears further trouble.
“We are very worried about the match. We can’t ignore certain facts. We have a problem with certain English fans when they travel abroad. There is a hooligan element and we have a hooligan element in Turkey.”
England can expect a hostile reception but Johansson said the English FA’s efforts to avoid trouble had not gone unnoticed.
England are not taking any tickets for the game and Johansson said: “Both sides are working very hard.
Senes Erzik, the Turkish representative on the FIFA executive, added: “I don’t like the idea the English FA are not taking up tickets for the match.
“It’s a pity. I dislike the closed door solution. But I suppose there was no alternative.”
Ezrik added that it was impossible to stop individual England fans travelling to the game without official tickets.
“How can you stop them as long as they have a valid identity?” he said
“I don’t want to speculate on what these individuals might do at the match. But in case of trouble we will all be in trouble.”
Turkish midfield star Yildiray Basturk has predicted England will receive a ‘welcome to hell’ from Turkish fans.
The match in Sunderland in April which England won 2-0 was marred by trouble before, during and after the game.
“This is one of our most important matches for some time. Our fans are fanatical, I hope they’ll abide by the fair play rules but yes, England can expect a welcome to hell,” he said during the Confederations Cup tournament in France last week.
Meanwhile, Paris St Germain have raised the stakes in Manchester United’s pursuit of their Brazil World Cup star Ronaldinho by insisting the English champions will have to pay twice the amount they have offered.
PSG president Francis Graille, due to meet United chief executive Peter Kenyon and directors David Gill and Maurice Watkins on Wednesday, says United will have to pay 45 million euros (52 million dollars/31 million pounds) for the player.
United were reported to have offered 15 million pounds (24 million dollars).
Graille has been boosted by major shareholder Canal Plus television’s decision to raise 20 million euros for the cash-strapped club.
“If they come with an offer of 45 million euros things can go very fast,” Graille said.
He claimed Real Madrid were ready to pay 25 million euros and leave Ronaldinho with Paris for a year.
But media reports here said Kenyon had already done a deal with Real to sign Ronaldinho in exchange for United agreeing to allow manager Alex Ferguson’s Portuguese assistant Carlos Queiroz become the new coach at Real.
And the 23-year-old Brazilian’s agent Roberto Assis said he had agreed personal terms with united.
“By Wednesday we should have a verdict on whether Ronaldinho goes to Manchester or if he stays,” Assis said.—AFP