Polish football chiefs settle row with FIFA

"There is an agreement between the government and the football federation," FIFA president Sepp Blatter said.

"If tomorrow is realised what is promised today, then for us it is OK," Blatter said.

"It is good," he added, declaring himself and UEFA president Michel Platini "relaxed about this decision."

FIFA had given Poland a deadline of Monday morning to reinstate their football association, which was suspended by the government after claims of corruption.

The Polish Olympic Committee's arbitration tribunal suspended the association and put a temporary administrator in place.

But the new structure failed to win the approval of FIFA and UEFA, which oppose political interference in the running of sport.

Under Tuesday's deal, the temporary administrator will be dismissed and an independent panel of representatives from FIFA, UEFA and government authorities will oversee the Polish federation's upcoming elections.

Poland also escapes FIFA sanctions which would have seen Poland forfeit their forthcoming World Cup qualifiers against the Czech Republic on Saturday and four days later against Slovakia.

The agreement also appears to ease concerns over the country's right to co-host European football's showcase event in 2012 with Ukraine.

UEFA had warned that it could strip Poland of its hosting rights if no deal had been struck.

Poland seems likely to avoid this fate now, but it remains a possibility, as the country must adhere to a plan drawn up in the wake of a similar row last year.

FIFA said that it will "closely monitor the situation at the Polish FA and the implementation of the measures established in the road map," which sets out what must be done before the Polish FA holds its elections.

The Polish federation's governing board was suspended last week after a ruling by the Polish Olympic Committee's arbitration court. Robert Zawlocki was appointed temporary chief of the federation.

UEFA spokesman William Gaillard called that decision "an abuse of our trust" that can lead to "very, very serious consequences."

Gaillard said before the deal was struck on Monday: "The feeling, really, is that they are thinking that we are all fools.

"It's extremely difficult to organise the Euro in Poland and Ukraine.

"If we made them stick to the commitments they signed in April 2007, they would be in trouble, terrible trouble, already."

"We've done absolutely everything and more to make sure they can organise it and the first thing they do is deceive our trust and go back on a commitment they made a year and a half ago to FIFA."

The FIFA executive committee will discuss the issue at its meeting on October 23 and 24.