London 2012: Sepp Blatter warns Gareth Bale could be banned
• FA would have to complain to Fifa over friendly appearance
• Tottenham winger pulled out of Team GB squad with injury
Press Association
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 25 July 2012 13.05 BST
Fifa's president Sepp Blatter has said that Gareth Bale could be banned from playing for Tottenham Hotspur during the Olympics, but only if the Football Association lodges an official complaint.
Bale withdrew from Stuart Pearce's Team GB men's football Olympic squad due to injury, but the Welshman played and scored in a pre-season friendly against LA Galaxy in California on Wednesday morning.
The FA and British Olympic Association have not commented on Bale's appearance, but Blatter said if there was an official complaint to Fifa then the 23-year-old could be banned for playing for Spurs – even in friendlies – until 12 August.
"The principle is that if a club does not release a player then this association can come to Fifa and we will then ban this player during the duration of the Olympics," said Blatter. "So far nobody came to Fifa to say we should, but it is a possibility we could ban these players if they are not at the disposal of the national team.
"They [the association] complain and then we say let this player go or he cannot play for the club. Fifa's position has never been so clear than it is now for the Olympics 2012 and 2016."
Fifa would have to judge that the club had not released him, but Spurs would argue Bale only returned to fitness this week. Blatter admitted that some countries – such as Switzerland – had not insisted on clubs releasing players but that all were entitled to do so.