FIFA president Sepp Blatter has claimed the
dominance of English clubs in the Champions League proves a quota
system to limit the number of foreign players is
needed.
For the last two seasons, there have been three Barclays Premier
League sides in the last-four of Europe's elite club competition
and Blatter fears a monopolisation of football, with the richest
clubs buying up the best players from all over the world at the
expense of domestic talent.
He is to seek a mandate from the FIFA Congress later this month
to begin talks with the European Union and football's authorities
over implementing a 'six-plus-five', rule where a maximum of five
players in a starting XI can be foreign.
FIFA will also look to extend the residency period to five years
before a player can represent another country - in some countries
the period is currently as short as two years.
Blatter told a conference call: "Shall we let the rich become
richer and say nothing? "The big money is coming out of the
Champions League - it's the biggest league in the world and
practically 80% of the income goes to the directly to the 32
participating clubs.
"This season, there were four English teams in the last eight,
three in the semi-finals and two in the final. "The Champions
League has been very successful financially but it has also
favoured national inequality. That's why, being in charge of
football, I have to bring this item to the attention of the
Congress.
"This is the sporting situation but let us start with our idea
of the six-plus-five rule and then we will see what the difference
will be in the future. "This rule will be fighting against the
monopolies of clubs and leagues. "But we are not fighting the
problem of money but for the identity of national teams."
Blatter claimed his plan for the six-plus-five rule would not
contravene EU labour law because it did not limit the number of
foreign players a club could take on - just the number that start a
match. Both the EU and UEFA dispute that however.
The FIFA president said he would aim to have a minimum of four
domestic players by 2010, five by 2011 and up to six in 2012.
In terms of the residency period, Blatter has become alarmed by
the number of players - especially from Brazil - taking on foreign
citizenship and then appearing for their new countries.
Arsenal striker Eduardo, who plays for Croatia, is one example.
Blatter added: "After only a two-year period, a player can receive
nationality from another country and there is a danger that in 2014
half the players in the World Cup could come from Brazil!
"That's why the executive committee will propose to the Congress
that only after five years being resident that a player can become
a 'football citizen'."