'Dad rang and I was like: What's happening?' - England U20s boss on Uefa threat
England head coach Lydia Bedford says she has been told to "just continue as usual" before next month's Under-20 Women's World Cup, despite the threat of a Uefa boycott over an ongoing row with Fifa.
England's Under-20 Women's World Cup head coach Lydia Bedford has been instructed by the Football Association to carry on with preparations for the tournament despite UEFA threatening to boycott the event. Bedford, who has not given much thought to the bigger picture, is set to announce her squad next week. The dispute between FIFA and UEFA began with FIFA president Gianni Infantino planning to sell off stakes in competitions to private investors.
UEFA and its 55 member nations have threatened to boycott FIFA competitions, a stance that remains in place despite the abandonment of the FFE proposal earlier this month. The Under-20 Women's World Cup, which is scheduled to take place from September 5-27 and features six European teams, including England, is at risk of being affected by the boycott.
Both England and Poland have expressed their opposition to the proposed boycott, with Poland's Weronika Arasniewicz stating that she is against it and would be disappointed if the tournament was cancelled. Despite pressure from both sides, Bedford remains focused on preparing her team to the best of her ability and is hopeful that the squad will be able to attend the tournament in Poland.
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