Blatter to step up Euro quota bid

omgukilledkenny SG

Fifa president Sepp Blatter has told the BBC he is ready to challenge the European Union to get a quota on foreign players within European teams.

Blatter made his comments in response to an NOP poll of football fans for BBC1's Football Focus.

He wants clubs to be limited to five foreigners in their starting XI to allow homegrown talent to flourish.

The proposal contravenes EU law but Blatter says football needs to act and says a reduction "is a good solution".

The 71-year-old Swiss argues that football deserves special treatment because it is not like any other job.

"Workers in Europe can circulate freely but footballers are not workers," he said.

"You cannot consider a footballer like any normal worker because you need 11 to play a match - and they are more artists than workers."

lpx88 SG

i think liddat EPL gone case liao Laughing

turbo_drift SG

EPL gone case liao. Arsenal hit the most. Mad Mad Mad

omgukilledkenny SG

If Blatter's quota were to come through...

Probable Lineups

Man Utd: Ben Foster, Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra, Cristiano Ronaldo, Owen Hargreaves, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Carlos Tevez, Wayne Rooney

Chelsea: Petr Cech, Ashley Cole, John Terry, Ricardo Carvalho, Paolo Ferreira, Joe Cole, Sean Wright-Phillips, Steve Sidwell, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Andriy Shevchenko

Arsenal: Jens Lehmann, Justin Hoyte, Paul Rodgers, Matthew Connolly, William Gallas, Kieran Gibbs, Cesc Fabregas, Mark Randall, Theo Walcott, Robin van Persie, Emmanuel Adebayor

Liverpool: Scott Carson, Steve Finnan, Jack Hobbs, Jamie Carragher, Dan Agger, Fabio Aurelio, Jermain Pennant, Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, Peter Crouch, Fernando Torres

Spurs: Paul Robinson, Gareth Bale, Ledley King, Michael Dawson, Pascal Chimbonda, Steed Malbranque, Jermaine Jenas, Tom Huddlestone, Aaron Lennon, Dimitar Berbatov, Robbie Keane

Agenda SG

arsenal sure jialat..

liverpool also almost jialat..

wow

omgukilledkenny SG

Wenger blasts Blatter quota plan

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has warned Sepp Blatter's plans to impose limits on foreign players would "kill" the English Premier League.

French coach Wenger has often been criticised for a lack of home-grown talent in his first-choice team - with not one British-born player in the squad for Arsenal's last Premier League game at West Ham.

England Under-21 winger Theo Walcott has had to mostly make do with warming the bench when he has been involved - making just five appearances this season.

Wenger maintains he never looks at passports, only talent and believes the English game would be much poorer were that to change.

"It would kill the Premier League at the moment for being the best league in the world, certainly," declared the Arsenal manager.

"Why? Because you can see a massive reduction in the quality. If you have the choice between 200 million players or 50 million players, it is less good.

"It is as simple as that.

"It will protect the bad players, or those who are not good enough.

"Also, if the best English players play with the best world-class players, then they will be even better and develop quicker."

798 SG

if this rule really apply, it will cause a hugh impact to BPL n other clubs. many foreigners will have to send back and loved one will be separated. again blatter always come up wif stupid idea. Evil or Very Mad

ghimpheng SG

Chelsea and Manchester united still look quite a decent team even with the Quota

but Arsenal look a complete different team

turbo_drift SG

fug Blatter and his s.t.u.p.i.d idea.. Mad

merely a vent on blatter..

4getmenot SG

That sexist blatter shud quit while he can before he ruins the beautiful game anymore further..

"women footballers shud wear tighter and shorter shorts"? wat the hell was he thinking??

lpx88 SG

K la Man Utd's sqaud is very much intact Laughing

zocoss SG

This Blatter’s quota plan has been going around for quite sometime already… I belief this will happen in a few yrs time or sooner as Blatter will still be in charge of Fifa for another few years… and now having got rid of the guy that always oppose him Lennart Johansson and replace with his own boy Michel Platini as Uefa president… He seem to have strengthen his voice if both Fifa & Uefa agree on it.

CKeer SG

Blatter with his nonsense again. Laughing

Cheers.
CK

zocoss SG

Of course lah... Fergie probably thought that this Blatter's plan can eventually become a reality not too long from now that's why he has been buying English players year after year... This season Hargreaves, last season Carrick, The year before Ben Foster and Rooney... and they still have Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Brown, Eagles to count on... Arsenal and Wenger will be the biggest loser if this becomes a necessity as the Gunners hardly got one Englishman on their first team... That is why its little wonder that it is Wenger who is making all the noise...

lpx88 SG

Still..it's bad for the EPL i think..

798 SG

oh no... guess it's better wenger start recruiting englishmen this january transfer market. Neutral

however even wif 70 millions pound, it is extremely difficult to get good players since most of us know english players r over-rated n costier than foreigners.

hisoka SG

maybe not. might even be good in that it might even the playing field more with the other teams being able to get hold of the players that are in first team of the top clubs now.

but of course they might go to other leagues which is a risk i guess. and i would have to admit it would help to foster their english playesr abit, but 5 is probably too little......

798 SG

but u forgeting about injuries n suspension. take a look at the current man u squad, they sure do not affect by the new bid. but at currently, even their players carrick, hargrevas and neville are injured n we know dat there is no english chaps to replace them.

the new bid will cost the beautiful game to degrade to older day when unknown players r playing.

maybe they should impose the new bid slowly n apply to Division 1 and FA cup competitions first.

turbo_drift SG

I think Wenger should go Coca Cola Championship and find those youngsters who have the potential (for the next 5 years) and buy them cheap cheap.

4getmenot SG

oh if there were, wenger probably would have scoop them already.. Rolling Eyes