John Delaney the Football Association of Ireland chief executive spoke out before the draw today about FIFA's decision to seed the play-offs. He believes commerce was the main reason FIFA changed the rules to the World Cup qualifying after seeing Portugal and France struggle through their groups.
The decision to change the draw to seedings to help the big countries qualify was taken late last month. Delaney, and the Irish governing body have been angered by this in what he sees as FIFA changing the goalposts .
He said on www.elevenaside.com
"I wasn't surprised by the decision to seed the draw,"
"I believe the commercial department in Fifa wants the best players and the biggest countries to be in South Africa.
"I doubt think there's any doubt about that. They countenance the idea of Portugal with Ronaldo playing France in a play-off, and having one of those two countries knocked out, as something the powers-that-be in Fifa weren't going to allow."