Blatter still pursues quotas

Sepp Blatter again is pushing for his quotas on home-grown players, claiming fans have lost touch with national teams because of the lack of home-bred talent.

Blatter has been lobbying for five players maximum from abroad per club. He also said the regional and local identities of clubs are getting lost because of the overseas infusion.

Despite opposition from European Union lawmakers, the FIFA president said he would like the mandate in place by 2011. Blatter said, while some believe the quotas circumvent laws, the rules can be amended for the good of the game.

"Club football at the beginning had a local identity, later a regional and now (with) some of the leagues - I am speaking here about the big clubs of the Premier League - there is no more national identity," Blatter told BBC Radio Five Live.

"And I think if you ask the fans they will want to see the national team players playing in the top clubs of the league in the country concerned.

"I am sure everybody is in favour of a strong national team and therefore we should approach and impose such a solution which is why I am going to the

congress to propose a six-plus-five rule to be implemented in the future to be decided after 2010/11.

"Meaning that the starting 11 shall have six players eligible to play for the national team of the country that the club is playing in."

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.