A worker puts down turf at Olympic Stadium in Montreal in preparation for the FIFA U-20 World Cup soccer tournament, June 28, 2007.Shaun Best/Reuters
FIFA has seemingly turned down an offer to meet with players protesting the use of artificial turf at next year's Women's World Cup.
The players offered Monday to meet FIFA Secretary-General Jerome Valcke at a tournament in Brazil where American star Abby Wambach and Brazil's Marta — two of the elite players leading the legal challenge to turf — are playing.
But it appears the meeting will not happen.
"FIFA's secretary general Jerome Valcke met with the team representatives within the scope of the final draw staged in Ottawa," a FIFA media spokesman said in an email Tuesday to The Canadian Press. "For the time being we have no further comments to make."
The lawyer for the players made the offer to meet in person after Valcke turned down a request to talk via conference call.
When asked why, given his earlier comment about wanting an "open dialogue," Valcke said at Friday's tournament draw in Ottawa that he would talk to players — but not lawyers — in person rather than on the phone.
"I am ready to discuss with all the players, with all the technical teams, with all the coaches. But face to face," said Valcke. "And that's what I'm ready to do ... I'm ready to travel to wherever I have to travel to do that."
Canadian captain Christine Sinclair was the only player that attended Saturday's draw.
The 2015 Women's World Cup is scheduled for June 6 to July 5 in Moncton, Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver.