Four years after benefiting at our cost in the World Cup play-offs, the French FA are to complain to FIFA over the seeding system which they claim is unjust.
Currently lying second in their group to World and European champions Spain, they look set yet again for the play-offs next month, but they are unhappy with the seeding system that will mean they are likely to face a difficult opponent in next week’s draw.
The French are three points behind Spain ahead of their final game against Finland, so the play-offs appear to be a formality, but given their opponents will be determined by FIFA rankings, their low current position of 25th leaves them with the prospect of an uphill task to make it to Rio. Like we said, let’s not have an outpouring of sympathy.
According to The Guardian, Les Bleus believe the system is flawed because fewer ranking points were available in the five-nation Group I while the other sections all contained six teams.
We’re going to contact Fifa,” the French Federation’s president Noël Le Graët told the radio station RMC.
“Our rivals from other groups have been able to score more points … that’s a fact.”
After the events of Paris of November 2009, there is a delicious irony in there somewhere.
