Football has always had its bad side if you look for it, like all sports, but one thing it has always managed to do is be above politics. From the legendary Christmas Day match between the opposing troops in the trenches in 1914, to the 1998 World Cup game between the USA and Iran, it has always been about the 22 players on the pitch and not about the administrations of the countries they represent.

However, UEFA has brought politics into today's draw for the qualifying tournament for the 2012 European Championship by keeping Azerbaijan and Armenia apart in the draw, as well as Russian and Georgia, and had FIFA standing beside them when stating they would try to keep nations with tense relations apart for future qualifying tournaments. Michel Platini, the President of UEFA claimed "It's precisely because we don't want to mix sport and politics," but surely this decision is doing precisely the opposite?

Russia and Georgia fought a brief war in 2008. While Armenia and Azerbaijan are in dispute over a contested enclave and have no diplomatic relations. Armenia and Azerbaijan were drawn in the same qualifying group for Euro 2008 but did not play as neither would guarantee the other's safety in their country. "They didn't want to play each other and we did not want to have the same situation again," Platini said.

Due to the nations involved, and this only being a qualifying tournament, this meddling will have little effect, and the chances of the countries being drawn together were slim anyway. However, this sets a very dangerous precedent for football. If there was ever another flare-up in the Falklands, would England be exempted from playing Argentina? Given the history between English and Turkish fans could the two nations say they don't want to play each other again? If a country can't guarantee the safety of a visiting team to their country they either have to play in a neutral venue or forfeit the points.

Its an unlikely situation, but imagine the scene this summer, if Spain are set to play England in the semi-final of the World Cup, and to get global recognition of their fight to get Gibraltar back under Spanish rule, the Spanish Government decides to roll some tanks into the territory and declares war. I am certain the game would still be played, perhaps with some media fuelled spice - Maradona always claimed his 'Hand of God' goal was revenge for the Falklands - but it would still go ahead. So why, because the countries involved, bar Russia, are minnows, is it allowed to happen in this scenario?

This also leaves loopholes open for Government interference in the running of football. Back in 2006 FIFA suspended European champions Greece and its member clubs from international competition because of government interference in the sport, stating the Hellenic Football Federation had broken rules on "the independence of members and decision-making in each country". This latest decision by FIFA removes the independency between Federations and Governments and leaves the door open for interference such as Quota Systems and the development and organisation of the game in different countries.

Since the game's beginning it has been just that, a game, and despite many 'supremos' attempts to make the game something it isn't, it still is just a game. Platini won't be the first, he won't be the last, but this step is one in a dangerous direction.