FIFA consider mandatory medicals

World soccer's governing body FIFA is ready to consider an expansion of its medical screening programmes to cover all international tournaments.

FIFA announced on Thursday that the matter would be discussed at its next executive committee meeting in October, following recommendations made by the organisation's medical committee.

"We set a new standard ahead of the 2006 World Cup with state-of-the-art tests for all players including electro- and echocardiograms," FIFA's chief medical officer Jiri Dvorak told Reuters following the death of Spain and Sevilla midfielder Antonio Puerta, 22.

"We are still in the final stages of analysing all the data but I assume the medical committee will recommend making such tests mandatory at all levels, not just for the senior men's tournaments but for women's and junior football too."

While FIFA hope such measures can help minimise the risk of serious injuries or deaths on the soccer pitch, Dvorak said some cases would still get past even the best screening methods.

Puerta's death would appear to fall into that category.

The Spanish international collapsed during the opening league match of the season on Saturday and died three days later following complications arising from a heart attack.

The hospital he was taken to said the attack had been brought on by a weakness in the right ventricle of the heart either because of a congenital problem or because cells had been replaced by fat or scar tissue.

His club pointed out that the entire squad had undergone exhaustive pre-season fitness and health tests without anything showing up during Puerta's examinations.

UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES

"I cannot speak about Puerta in particular, but there are always going to be unforeseen circumstances that can only be completely ruled out using more aggressive and invasive procedures," said Dvorak.

"By having the sort of tests that we carried out before the World Cup as standard, however, we can at least do all that is reasonable to reduce potential risk."

On Wednesday, one day after Puerta's death, Zambian striker Chaswe Nsofwa died after collapsing during a training session with his Israeli second division side Hapoel Beer Sheva.

In England, a 16-year-old trainee at third division Walsall died last week after suffering a similar collapse in training and a League Cup tie in England on Tuesday was abandoned after Leicester player Clive Clarke collapsed at half time.