The UEFA executive also threw cold water on plans by Rangers and Celtic to join the English premier league and ended two days of meetings by urging FIFA to call a European-wide seminar to explain the confusion surrounding the revamped transfer system.

'There are a lot of questions marks,' said UEFA chief Lennart Johansson, adding that he would decide in the next few days whether to seek another term as president.

'How will (the transfer system) work? There are many questions that must be dealt with. FIFA and UEFA must give the same answers to the same questions.'

At its extra-ordinary congress next month in Prague, UEFA will begin the process of amending it statutes and will consider a proposal that all potential UEFA members must be recognised by the United Nations (U.N.).

If the amendment is passed it would effectively end Gibraltar's hopes of becoming UEFA's 52nd member as the self-governing British dependent territory is not recognised by the U.N..

'We have been in contact with FIFA on this subject,' said UEFA's chief executive Gerhard Aigner. 'FIFA is planning to revise their statutes for 2003 and decided not to admit any new associations until then.

'UEFA has adopted the same stance since we too are working on our statutes.

'The Congress will deal with statutes so the decision has been postponed.'

Any changes to the statute would not affect current members.

Countries such as Scotland, which is also not recognised by the U.N., would receive special dispensation having been part of UEFA before the changes.

Spain, which has repeatedly threatened to withdraw from UEFA if Gibraltar's application to join European football is successful, softened its hardline position in the light of the planned move.

Angel Maria Villar, the president of the Spanish Football Federation told UEFA that the Spanish FA was fully prepared to help Gibraltar to develop soccer and organise competitions between the two countries.

UEFA will, however, consider Kazakhstan's request for membership. It said the former Soviet Republic's situation was completely different from Gibraltar's as it was already a member of FIFA.

'This is a special case, they were members of the Asian federation and felt they should come back to UEFA where they were before the Soviet times,' said Johansson. 'FIFA has left it up to us to decide whether we can accept them or not.'

Backtracking on earlier comments that it would not stand in the way of a plan by Celtic and Rangers to join the premier league, Aigner said that in principle UEFA opposed any such move.

Aigner quickly added that UEFA was willing to listen to any proposal but said it must come from the leagues and association, not the clubs.

'The idea of these two clubs joining the premier league was brought up by the clubs themselves but UEFA's position is that it believes in the national structures for the basis of our competition,' said Aigner. 'We do not as such support teams moving from one country to another.

'In this specific case, if both associations and league wish to change this principle they must make a proposal to the international bodies.'

UEFA also indicated it was once again preparing to do battle with the European commission, this time over the way it sells the marketing and television rights for its flagship property the Champions League.

'The commission has focused on the way we have marketed the rights in various national markets, with one broadcaster who then receives exclusive rights for matches in that territory with the right to sub-licensing under the control of UEFA,' said Aigner. 'The commission felt this was too restrictive.