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CHARLEROI SWITCH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED SAYS BLATTER

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said a venue switch for the Euro 2000 match between England and Germany from the small Belgian stadium of Charleroi should be considered to minimise the risk of crowd trouble.

Blatter also said in a German newspaper interview that the threat of hooligan violence could not be entirely eliminated during the forthcoming European championship finals in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Arch-rivals England and Germany face each other on June 17 in the Charleroi stadium, which has a capacity of just 30,000 and has been the focus of widespread safety fears.
"I don't know the stadium. But I do know that the Belgium government has expressed its concerns to (European soccer's governing body) UEFA," Blatter told Die Welt in an interview.
"Playing the game in another stadium should be considered. I am absolutely convinced that this is being thought about."
English fans were involved in recent street violence at the away leg of Leeds United's UEFA Cup semifinal against Turkish club Galatasaray in Istanbul - where two Leeds fans were killed - and again at Arsenal's UEFA Cup final against Galatasaray in Copenhagen.

Germany, meanwhile, is seeking to prevent known hooligans from leaving the country during Euro 2000 to prevent a repeat of the savage beating of a French policeman during the 1998 World Cup finals in France for which four Germans were jailed.
Blatter noted with interest that after the recent violence sections of the British media had called for England to drop its bid to host the 2006 World Cup finals.
"We certainly shouldn't ignore that. The English press had previously supported the English bid very strongly," Blatter said.
He said the crowd violence would be one factor taken into account by members of the FIFA executive committee when it names the 2006 World Cup hosts on July 6, after the Euro 2000 final.

Reuters