FIFA 'disappointed' by Nobel's decision

Oslo

Scandal-hit FIFA expressed its disappointment yesterday at news that the Nobel Peace Centre in Oslo will end its partnership with football's stricken world governing body.

The Nobel Peace Centre (NPC) and FIFA have been partners in the "Handshake for Peace" initiative between team captains and officials since 2012.

But the centre, an offshoot of the Nobel Committee which awards the Nobel Peace Prize said on Monday that "the board of directors asked management to end cooperation with FIFA as soon as circumstances permit".

FIFA, which has been engulfed by an unprecedented corruption scandal, responded: "We are disappointed to have learned from the media about the Nobel Peace Center's intent to terminate the cooperation with FIFA on the Handshake for Peace initiative.

"FIFA is reluctant to accept this unilateral approach on what is a joint initiative between the football community and the Nobel Peace Centre.

"This action does not embody the spirit of fair play especially as it obstructs the promotion of the key values of peace-building and anti-discrimination."

FIFA said that Bente Erichsen, the centre's chief executive officer, "stressed in a telephone conversation with FIFA president (Sepp) Blatter this morning that the NPC continued to believe in this initiative and hoped it would live on in football with FIFA".