Blatter Allays Celtic Nation Fears Over British Olympic Side

President of soccer’s world governing body FIFA, Sepp Blatter has reassured the Football Associations (FA) of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, by ensuring that the team’s international status would not be affected by their player’s potentially appearing for a Great Britain Olympic team. 

The British Olympic Association (BOA) is still hoping to include Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England in a Team GB side for the London 2012 Games. 

However, some of the nations have expressed fears of harming their independence in the sport were they to join forces in a Great Britain side, but Blatter has reassured the countries that no sanction would be put in place, should the countries merge for the Games. 

Blatter said: “The team will run under the denomination ‘British Olympic team’. The composition of this team, the FIFA has said, is absolutely free to the Olympic committee of GB and to the four British associations”. 

“It’s very clear. If they play, there is no sanction from the Fifa part.”