Asia warms to 39th-game proposal

10-10-2008 10:00

The 39th game wasn't a popular idea when it was anounced here but Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed Bin Hammam has warmed to the idea.

He has confirmed that he is no longer opposed to AFC member states hosting English top-flight matches as it may boost the continent's standard of football.

Bin Hammam told BBC Sport: "It is now up to them if they want to present fresh plans. I am willing to listen and give my advice,"

"It's up to us to improve our level of football, but we would like the Premier League to help and support that process.

I've gone on record as saying that the idea that it will come back in exactly the same form as announced in February is wrong

"There is a lot of knowledge the Premier League can transfer to us."

Chief executive Richard Scudamore told the BBC that the Premier League remains "keen to develop something internationally and globally" and will spend the next year examining the options.

Bin Hammam changed his opinion after meeting senior Premier League officials and gaining assurances that they would seek Football Association, Uefa and Fifa approval before the AFC was asked to allow matches to be staged in its territories.

He added: "You cannot stop fans from wanting to watch the best games, and the Premier League is one of the best football products in the world."

"But the desire of broadcasters in Asia to screen Premier League matches rather than their local leagues is where the imbalance is happening.

"They are willing to pay tens of millions to show Premier League games but not a few thousand to show domestic matches.

"That might take years to change, and the Premier League can give us technical assistance and help improve the skills of our administrators, marketing and media staff."

Scudamore has insisted fans should not expect any future proposal to replicate the original idea.

"From the time we first floated the idea of the 39th game back in February, the Premier League and the clubs always said it had huge hurdles to overcome," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"I've gone on record as saying that the idea that it will come back in exactly the same form as announced in February is wrong. We're not daft and we're not insensitive to the reactions of fans.

"We're still keen to develop something internationally and globally, but the Premier League is doing very nicely indeed and we're in no rush at all."