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      Sunday
      Jul292012

      Blatter calls for Bale Ban

      For once I agree with FIFA president, Sepp Blatter.

      Gareth Bale must have been distraught at having to pull out of the once-in-lifetime opportunity to play for Team GB in the Olympics. He was so upset that he celebrated his 'shock' return to the Spurs first team with a goal in a game two days BEFORE Team GB's opening game against Senegal.

       

      All hail the Tottenham medical staff. These are the people responsible for Gareth Bale's astonishing recovery from injury. What mercurial talents lay between the medical staff at White Heart Lane.

       

      Of course, every player has the right to refuse to play for Team GB or their national side but why not just be straight with it? Why invent an injury? Yes, okay, so they say his return was ahead of schedule. No kidding.

       

      I am somewhat surprise that Blatter had time to comment on this given his precarious position at FIFA but he has rightly claimed that FIFA can ban any player if their own governing body lodges a complaint. This would mean that if the F.A lodges a complaint then FIFA can ban a player from playing for his club after withdrawing from international duty. Think of the result of that?

       

      Manchester United could be forced to field a team of reserves after one of the 'meaningless' international friendlies. We have all seen it before. Big name players conveniently suffer from what can only be described as man flu, which forces them to withdraw from the game, only to have made amazing recoveries to play for their clubs three days later.

       

      Clubs may defend this behaviour by claiming they are only protecting their assets as players get injured playing in international friendlies, robbing them of their services for important games. Well, why stop there then? Why not bubble wrap all your players after each game? I am sure more players get injured during training sessions than international friendlies, why not stop training and protect their assets further?

       

      Let's not forget that poor Gareth Bale made the right noises leading up to the Olympics, claiming he would be honoured to play for Team GB. That is before he got his bout of paper cuts or whatever injury they invented for him.

       

      Have some respect and just tell us the truth. If you don't want to play, just say so.

       

      Watch Bale in action