One issue in world football I noticed recently is Ecuador and Bolivia’s argument with FIFA over playing their home games at high altitude.
FIFA have apparently banned all international matches being played 2500 metres above sea level or more after complaints from visiting teams (namely Brazil and Argentina) that such conditions cause altitude sickness.
The facts of the matter seem to be that it can take up to seven days to adapt to high altitude before you can compete in a sporting event at full potential. Visiting teams have complained that this gives the home side an unfair advantage because with the modern football calendar there just isn’t time for lets say Brazil or Argentina’s players to stay in Ecuador or Bolivia for that length of time before a match. The final straw looks to have come from a Libertadores Cup(South America Champion’s League) game between Real Potosi(Bolivia) and Flamengo(Brazil) where Flamengo players were forced to take on oxygen during the last 20 minutes of the match to stop them collapsing.
The ruling will purposefully affect Bolivia and Ecuador the most with both countries in the heart of the Andes mountain range with capitals La Paz and Quito(where most internationals are played) well above the 2500 metres FIFA have declared as a safe altitude. Colombia, Mexico and Peru are the other countries that will be affected. Bogota is just over the limit while Cuzaco where Peru, play some internationals is miles over the limit at nearly around 3300m. However capital city Lima is OK. Mexico will also be stopped from playing internationals in Monterey but their main Azteca Stadium(the venue for two previous WC finals) in Mexico City is below the level so deemed acceptable.
The Bolivian’s have kicked up the biggest fuss, president Evo Morales claiming that the decision amounts to discrimination with him stating “He who wins at altitude wins with dignity.” Ecuador also complained that it is unfair to expect them to play their internationals 300 miles away in the inadequate stadium of their smaller towns and cities. Bolivia also have a similar problem with both their better stadiums being located in La Paz and a third even higher at Potosi. The Ecuadorian FA could be easier to convince now that a fair percentage of their international players are playing in Europe and would also require time to adapt back to their own climate. Their repost then could be a sneaky appeal to FIFA for funding towards improving their other stadia and would probably be a fair compromise in the Ecuadorian’s eyes.
The move has actually met with mixed responses from football fans of Bolivia and Ecuador with some stating FIFA are bowing down to the international powers of Brazil and Argentina and they have only started complaining(about the altitude) since the marked improvement in Ecuador as a team in the last 10 years. However many Ecuadorians and Bolivians have said they can understand people getting altitude sickness after traveling abroad themselves and then returning to find they too suffer with the problem.
Bolivia however look like they are going to take the fight even further with Morales stating he’ll be forming a delegation to storm FIFA’s offices in Switzerland. Hmmm I await that with interest!
FIFA have apparently banned all international matches being played 2500 metres above sea level or more after complaints from visiting teams (namely Brazil and Argentina) that such conditions cause altitude sickness.
The facts of the matter seem to be that it can take up to seven days to adapt to high altitude before you can compete in a sporting event at full potential. Visiting teams have complained that this gives the home side an unfair advantage because with the modern football calendar there just isn’t time for lets say Brazil or Argentina’s players to stay in Ecuador or Bolivia for that length of time before a match. The final straw looks to have come from a Libertadores Cup(South America Champion’s League) game between Real Potosi(Bolivia) and Flamengo(Brazil) where Flamengo players were forced to take on oxygen during the last 20 minutes of the match to stop them collapsing.
The ruling will purposefully affect Bolivia and Ecuador the most with both countries in the heart of the Andes mountain range with capitals La Paz and Quito(where most internationals are played) well above the 2500 metres FIFA have declared as a safe altitude. Colombia, Mexico and Peru are the other countries that will be affected. Bogota is just over the limit while Cuzaco where Peru, play some internationals is miles over the limit at nearly around 3300m. However capital city Lima is OK. Mexico will also be stopped from playing internationals in Monterey but their main Azteca Stadium(the venue for two previous WC finals) in Mexico City is below the level so deemed acceptable.
The Bolivian’s have kicked up the biggest fuss, president Evo Morales claiming that the decision amounts to discrimination with him stating “He who wins at altitude wins with dignity.” Ecuador also complained that it is unfair to expect them to play their internationals 300 miles away in the inadequate stadium of their smaller towns and cities. Bolivia also have a similar problem with both their better stadiums being located in La Paz and a third even higher at Potosi. The Ecuadorian FA could be easier to convince now that a fair percentage of their international players are playing in Europe and would also require time to adapt back to their own climate. Their repost then could be a sneaky appeal to FIFA for funding towards improving their other stadia and would probably be a fair compromise in the Ecuadorian’s eyes.
The move has actually met with mixed responses from football fans of Bolivia and Ecuador with some stating FIFA are bowing down to the international powers of Brazil and Argentina and they have only started complaining(about the altitude) since the marked improvement in Ecuador as a team in the last 10 years. However many Ecuadorians and Bolivians have said they can understand people getting altitude sickness after traveling abroad themselves and then returning to find they too suffer with the problem.
Bolivia however look like they are going to take the fight even further with Morales stating he’ll be forming a delegation to storm FIFA’s offices in Switzerland. Hmmm I await that with interest!
The Estadio Hernando Siles in La Paz
where the altitude is 'too high'
