Fifa refuses to pay more for Owen's knee injury

LONDON - FIFA President Sepp Blatter has accused Newcastle of being greedy.

The Magpies seek a whopping £6.2 million (S$18.6 million) in compensation for Michael Owen's injury at last year's World Cup.

However, Blatter insisted there will be no increase to Fifa's final offer of £900,000.

He said: 'The English Football Association was not able to convince Newcastle it was a good deal.

'The deal is done. It's not fair on all the other injured players whose clubs have sought compensation.'

Owen ruptured his cruciate knee ligament in the opening minute of England's World Cup match against Sweden, and has not played since.

The lengthy argument over who bears financial responsibility for his injury has caused fears that clubs may refuse to release their stars for international football.

However, Blatter said: 'Governing bodies and associations are becoming scared of the big clubs, because of the big money.'

He insisted the primary responsibility for paying compensation, in cases such as Owen's, lay with the English FA and Newcastle's insurers.

Fifa had also set up its own compensation fund of £6.3 million for clubs with injured players.

But Blatter said the idea behind the fund was to help the likes of Angola or Ivory Coast, who are playing in the World Cup for the first time.

Agreeing to Newcastle's request would use up most of the fund for the 2006 Finals.

He said: 'Something is wrong if the requests are coming from clubs in the richest league in the world.

' If anybody has a responsibility here, it is the FA to the player they took to the World Cup.'

Newcastle are already receiving £50,000 per week from the FA's insurers towards Owen's wages.

The club argue they are entitled to a lump sum because they had to spend £10 million to buy Obafemi Martins as a replacement for Owen, who cost them £17 million from Real Madrid.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE