FIFA spokesman Alain Leiblang told The Associated Press (AP) that the 2004 soccer finals should be held at the main Olympic stadium in Athens. He said, “the finals for Olympic tournaments are always in the main stadium”.
FIFA will also ask the International Olympic Committee (FIFA) to change the time of the men’s final and the date of the women’s final.
Athens 2004 organizers said the venue and exact time of the soccer finals for men and women is yet to be decided.
The soccer finals were originally to be held at the Karaiskaki soccer stadium in Athens’ port of Piraeus but Greek organizers said the stadium could not be refurbished on time and the finals should instead take place in the main Olympic complex.
Denis Oswald, the IOC’s head of the committee overseeing the 2004 Games, said there were scheduling difficulties and FIFA still had to authorize the switch for the events, which are scheduled for Aug. 28 and 29, 2004.
