Football's governing body said it has received confirmation from the World Anti-Doping Agency that its policies are compliant with worldwide codes, which essentially ends what was portrayed as a simmering dispute between the parties. FIFA President Sepp Blatter said Sunday that WADA sent confirmation “that our code, FIFA's disciplinary code and FIFA's anti-doping code, is totally in compliance with the WADA code” – albeit with one exception, he noted, regarding when suspended injured players can resume practicing with their various clubs. WADA's requirement that athletes make their whereabouts known for testing each day of the year has been a thorny issue for FIFA, which contends that policy treats all players as doping suspects. FIFA has previously said players should be eligible to testing six days a week at their club's training ground and freed of the obligation while on vacation. “There is no problem between the WADA organization and FIFA,” Blatter said, two days before FIFA opens its annual congress where more anti-doping talks will be on the agenda. “The only problem that we had, which has now been put away ... is the question, ‘Is WADA a service organization for the world of sport?' The answer is yes. WADA is not a police organization.” Blatter spoke Sunday after FIFA's 24-person executive committee met to decide several issues, including the cities that will host matches for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and setting the agenda for the two-day conference later this week. Blatter said FIFA conducts between 22,000 and 23,000 doping controls per year, at a cost of $1,000 apiece. Very few – less than 1 out of each 1,000 – finds traces of steroids in football players. Also Sunday from FIFA's executive committee meeting: – Five Brazilian cities were omitted from consideration to host 2014 World Cup matches, which were awarded to Rio de Janeiro, Curitiba, Porto Alegre, Sao Paulo, Cuiaba, Manaus, Fortaleza, Natal, Recife, Brasilia, Salvador and Bela Horizonte. The 2014 World Cup final is scheduled to be played in the 90,000-capacity Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, which also hosted the final in 1950. – FIFA ratified plans for the four “home nations” – England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – to combine on a Great Britain team for the 2012 Olympics. Those football associations agreed on the deal last week, and means Britain will enter an Olympic soccer tournament for the first time in 52 years.
