On 5 July, after learning of the sudden death of Hasan Dogan, the President of the Turkish football association (TFF), FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter wrote a letter in praise of his contribution to football. Dogan, 52, suffered a heart attack during a lunchtime meeting with national team coach Fatih Terim and TFF board member Levent Kazil in Mugla and later died in hospital. His death, which came shortly after Turkey’s memorable run to the semi-finals of UEFA EURO 2008, left the FIFA President shocked and saddened. Blatter has no doubt, however, that Dogan’s legacy to the game will live on. He wrote: “We will remember his vast experience and know-how, his determination to develop the game as well as his unique personality. He managed to position not only Turkish club football but also the Turkish national team on an international level in only a few months at the helm of the TFF. We will retain fond memories of an accomplished leader and an extraordinary man whose great human qualities ensured that he left an indelible mark on the game of football, not only in helping to develop football in Turkey, but also around the world.”
Dogan was elected as TFF President in February, having previously served as vice-president between 2004 and 2006.

New Switzerland coach Ottmar Hitzfeld made his first ever visit to the Home of FIFA in Zurich on Wednesday 30 July, where he met FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter. Hitzfeld and Blatter enjoyed a warm and friendly discussion on a number of footballing subjects, including the planned 6+5 rule and Switzerland’s chances of qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. Hitzfeld: “I’ve known him for many years now and we have often met, but this was a chance for us to have in-depth discussions about some current problems and interesting topics in a relaxed atmosphere.” Switzerland’s national team coach also came out in favour of the planned 6+5 rule: “I am totally behind this rule and have been for years now, since I can see that development is going in the wrong direction. There are too many foreign players in every league, which means that the local youngsters can’t be brought on properly. Furthermore, a lot of money is spent unnecessarily and which would be better invested in youth work and the development of talent.”

The German Minister of the Interior Wolfgang Schauble, FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter, FIFA Executive Committee member Franz Beckenbauer, a high-ranking delegation from the IOC and the German football association (DFB) met at the German Ministry of the interior in Berlin yesterday to discuss FIFA’s 6+5 resolution.
The focal point of the discussions was finding a way to reconcile the 6+5 resolution with European law. All parties support the idea put forward by the FIFA Congress to protect national teams, safeguard the education and training of young players and training clubs, uphold the values of commitment and motivation in football, particularly for young players, and curb the loss of clubs’ national identity by limiting the number of foreign players (6+5).
Schauble supports the underlying principle of the FIFA resolution and emphasised the importance of initiating a consultation process among the EU bodies. “If autonomous sport wishes to introduce such a measure, we will help it to find a solution at European level,” he said. Blatter emphasised that “The value of football cannot be measured in business terms only; the cultural and social value of this sport carry at least the same weight.”
IOC Vice-President and German Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach supports FIFA’s initiative with the argument that other team sports are also facing the same problem. Of central importance is the training of young sportsmen and women, which can only be achieved through restoring a sporting and financial balance between the clubs.
The idea was also supported by DFB President Theo Zwanziger, German Football League President Reinhard Rauball and FIFA Executive Committee member Franz Beckenbauer, who came out strongly in favour of the initiative at this year’s FIFA Congress in Sydney. All those present at the meeting with Schauble expressed their support for further discussion of this issue, in particular with the French presidency of the EU.