LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AFP) — International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge yesterday welcomed a decision by FIFA to maintain the rules for Olympic teams and allow overage players, despite qualms at European clubs.

“I was pleased to hear that FIFA will maintain the status quo on qualification of minus 23 year players plus three overage,” Rogge said after a meeting of the IOC’s Executive Board.

In September, top European clubs had urged world football’s governing body to accept that only under 21 year-olds should take part in Olympic Games football instead of 23 year-olds, to follow international practice in other tournaments.

In particular, the European Club Association insisted on a “no overage players solution,” Barcelona president and ECA vice-chairman Juan Laporta said.

Last week, FIFA’s executive committee announced in South Africa that it had decided to maintain U23s for the Olympics.

The European clubs have complained that the selection of an overage player was unpredictable, hampering forward planning for clubs that are asked to release players for the ever more dense international calendar.