Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish has expressed his disappointment after the controversy over the Martin Taylor tackle on Arsenal striker Eduardo da Silva was dragged up again over the weekend.
The Blues boss has become exasperated after Fifa president Sepp Blatter and Manchester United assistant manager Carlos Queiroz continued the condemnation of his under-fire defender with Blatter demanding to see the FA report on the tackle personally and suggesting further sanctions above the automatic three-game ban drawn by Taylor's red card were possible.
"We have the right to ask national associations to give us the file - and if we feel the suspension is not enough we will come back on that," Blatter said after a meeting of the International FA Board at Gleneagles in Scotland.
"I told the International Board that a player who is deliberately attacking another player and tries to demolish a player should be banned, and not only for three matches but temporarily banned or a life ban depending on the severity of the attack.
"Why the hell should footballers demolish each other?"
A visibly seething Queiroz complained about Portsmouth's physical approach after United's shock FA Cup exit at the hands of Blues' opponents tomorrow night, and said: "That's why the Taylors of this game can survive and some of the best players are out of the game. It cannot happen any more."
However, yesterday the Portuguese coach withdrew his comments and added: "I am deeply sorry if my comments, made when emotions were running high after the Portsmouth game, were misconstrued.
"Everyone at Manchester United knows that Martin Taylor is not that type of player.
"All I sought to say was that in the modern game, because of its speed, we need to have more vigilance on mistimed tackles. I apologise for any upset my remarks may have caused."
McLeish accepted Queiroz's apology but was deeply disappointed that the biggest official in world football, Blatter, had taken a personal interest in the case.
"It seems to keep going on," he said. "I am disappointed with Sepp Blatter. If he was to look at every tackle in every game all over the world he would be out of a job because he would have to ban everyone. It is disappointing that a man of such standing would say anything like that.
"He is in the game because of football the way it is, for him to say that is poor for a man of his stature. He would go to court with that one [trying to get an additional ban] and he would fail 100 per cent.
"Although Carlos tried to interpret it, I know Manchester United were behind us over the tackle.
"People keep making statements and dragging it up again. Sepp has opened it up again, which is disappointing but who can bring him to task? He is the top man."
Croatian striker Eduardo will be out of the game for at least nine months after Taylor's tackle caused a compound fracture of his right leg and dislocated his ankle.
Taylor has received death threats from Croatia and is said to be 'mentally shattered' over the incident.
Meanwhile, McLeish is calling on his side to approach tomorrow night's game at Fratton Park in exactly the same fashion as they did when they beat Tottenham Hotspur 11 days ago.
Birmingham were in superb form as they trounced the newly-crowned Carling Cup champions 4-1, and now they face an equally buoyant Portsmouth side following their passage into the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
"The confidence is good and the players are fresh with Spurs in their mind but we know Portsmouth are a very good side," he said. "I watched them at Old Trafford at the weekend and they are a big, strong side.
"A few bob has been invested in the squad and Jermain Defoe can come back into the side after being cup tied.
"Harry has done it in a great way and got the best out of them. They have some quality in their squad. They have strength, flair and speed in the team.
"I said to the players last week, I couldn't have cared less which Tottenham turned up, we have to play to the standards we have now set. It will be the same again. We have to be at our absolute best to get anything from the game at Portsmouth.
