Armenia - which is at odds with its neighbour over Nagorno Karabakh, an ethnic Armenian enclave in Azerbaijan - said it was prepared to host games in the capital, Yerevan, and travel to Baku. Azerbaijan, however, refused to host Armenian players and called for a neutral venue.

"We understand that there are problems with security," UEFA chief executive Lars Olsson said Tuesday on a visit to Yerevan.

Olsson said the dispute should not be politicized and that football's European governing body was ready to set up a special commission to investigate the situation and mediate, AP reports.

The football federations in ex-Soviet Moldova and Georgia have offered to act as hosts.

/slam.canoe.ca/