Gordon Smith demanded an explanation from the New Zealand Football federation yesterday after it claimed that the Scottish Football Association had made an approach to play a pre-World Cup friendly.
Michael Glading, the chief executive of the NZF, accused the SFA on Monday of wanting “an arm and a leg” to fly to Wellington for a match against the All Whites.
He also said that the Scots remained potential opponents in May on neutral territory in Austria before this summer’s World Cup in South Africa, but his comments have not gone down well with Smith, his counterpart at the SFA, who denied that there were any plans for Scotland to play a friendly at the end of the season.
“Contrary to speculation emanating from the New Zealand Football Federation, I wish to clarify that Scotland will not be playing a friendly match against New Zealand — or any other nation, for that matter — in May,” Smith said.
“I am at a loss to understand Mr Glading’s comments and, indeed, have asked for clarification from his federation. Craig Levein, the new national team manager, has already made clear his intention not to arrange a friendly international match at the end of the current domestic season, as part of his strategy to ensure a positive Euro 2012 qualification campaign on all fronts.
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“The SFA has had no direct negotiations with the New Zealand federation and, thus, has never demanded ‘an arm and a leg’ for a friendly match we have not scheduled.”