Friday, December 14, 2007
Blatter: Treaty will allow foreigner caps
Sepp Blatter says the European Union's Lisbon Treaty will allow the game's governing body to cap foreign players in domestic leagues.
The agreement was signed by all 27 nations that make up the EU in the Portuguese capital on Thursday.
FIFA president Blatter, as well as a growing number of high-profile coaches and administrators, has long waged a battle against clubs who fill their starting line-ups with overseas-born players.
And the Swiss believes the new treaty will see sporting associations become exempt from the employment laws that give workers freedom of movement across the continent and allow FIFA to proceed with plans which will see teams forced to field at least six home-grown players at all times.
"You have people like Sir Alex Ferguson and Roy Keane, the coach of Sunderland, and Franz Beckenbauer and (Johann) Cruyff and (Michel) Platini all working in the right direction and we are working for the identity of football," said Blatter.
"They have accepted a new treaty in Europe and they discussed the specificity of sport and its statutes are guaranteed. We don't want to fight any laws or authority but we want football to exist as a good family."
Blatter stressed the national identity of a club is lost if overseas-born players dominate and that England's failure to qualify for Euro 2008 had given the issue a higher profile.
"We have to maintain, if not the local idea of a club then at least the national identity of a club," he said.
"It does not look good if you have a club in a country and there are no national players on the team."
Blatter claimed recent events in England had led to a sea change in opinion.
"This matter has been brought up by the FIFA president two or three years ago, but it has started now. Why? Because something has happened in the motherland of football, England," said Blatter.
"They have not qualified for Euro 2008 and some have said that there are too many foreign players in the league.
"This discussion is going on in the FIFA strategic committee.
"We will have a look at some of these items and, at the next FIFA Congress in Sydney, we will come out with a proposal that six plus five can be, will be and must be accepted by the FIFA Congress."
Omg... You must be joking. Please don't. PLEASE. All the teams will be in deep trouble. Oh crap.
AHH. See, it's all McClaren's fault!
'Alvaro Arbeloa is gearing himself up for his biggest challenge of the season against Manchester United this weekend.'
Seems like he'll be RB against Manure, and will be marking the famous and greatest diver in BPL, Ronaldivo!
All the 'I want's coming out of Rafa. I'm sure the players will fulfil his 'I want's. (:
Go you Mighty Reds. Beat the hell outta those Mancs.
The Liverpool spirit upon all Scousers' chests!
No 'What I've Done' for you! You said you'd quit, you continued. You said you went there to do x, you did y. You said it was all over, it wasn't. - All over? All over only in your mind!
I thought it was over, damn it. Stop opening whenever you feel like it and closing when you want it all over, will you? You think you're a clam? Or a fricking snail that won't crawl up? Female doggy! I wonder when all these crap will stop from you. Face reality, dude!
I knew it wasn't all over that day. Could see that small little bit of dirt in you, in your eyes. I don't know exactly what's going on, but in your case, apologising for a thousand and one times is useless, unless you really do stop it. So, you might want to consider when to say a 'Sorry' from deep down in there. I can't believe you.
XY
Sepp Blatter says the European Union's Lisbon Treaty will allow the game's governing body to cap foreign players in domestic leagues.
The agreement was signed by all 27 nations that make up the EU in the Portuguese capital on Thursday.
FIFA president Blatter, as well as a growing number of high-profile coaches and administrators, has long waged a battle against clubs who fill their starting line-ups with overseas-born players.
And the Swiss believes the new treaty will see sporting associations become exempt from the employment laws that give workers freedom of movement across the continent and allow FIFA to proceed with plans which will see teams forced to field at least six home-grown players at all times.
"You have people like Sir Alex Ferguson and Roy Keane, the coach of Sunderland, and Franz Beckenbauer and (Johann) Cruyff and (Michel) Platini all working in the right direction and we are working for the identity of football," said Blatter.
"They have accepted a new treaty in Europe and they discussed the specificity of sport and its statutes are guaranteed. We don't want to fight any laws or authority but we want football to exist as a good family."
Blatter stressed the national identity of a club is lost if overseas-born players dominate and that England's failure to qualify for Euro 2008 had given the issue a higher profile.
"We have to maintain, if not the local idea of a club then at least the national identity of a club," he said.
"It does not look good if you have a club in a country and there are no national players on the team."
Blatter claimed recent events in England had led to a sea change in opinion.
"This matter has been brought up by the FIFA president two or three years ago, but it has started now. Why? Because something has happened in the motherland of football, England," said Blatter.
"They have not qualified for Euro 2008 and some have said that there are too many foreign players in the league.
"This discussion is going on in the FIFA strategic committee.
"We will have a look at some of these items and, at the next FIFA Congress in Sydney, we will come out with a proposal that six plus five can be, will be and must be accepted by the FIFA Congress."
Omg... You must be joking. Please don't. PLEASE. All the teams will be in deep trouble. Oh crap.
AHH. See, it's all McClaren's fault!
'Alvaro Arbeloa is gearing himself up for his biggest challenge of the season against Manchester United this weekend.'
Seems like he'll be RB against Manure, and will be marking the famous and greatest diver in BPL, Ronaldivo!
All the 'I want's coming out of Rafa. I'm sure the players will fulfil his 'I want's. (:
Go you Mighty Reds. Beat the hell outta those Mancs.
The Liverpool spirit upon all Scousers' chests!
No 'What I've Done' for you! You said you'd quit, you continued. You said you went there to do x, you did y. You said it was all over, it wasn't. - All over? All over only in your mind!
I thought it was over, damn it. Stop opening whenever you feel like it and closing when you want it all over, will you? You think you're a clam? Or a fricking snail that won't crawl up? Female doggy! I wonder when all these crap will stop from you. Face reality, dude!
I knew it wasn't all over that day. Could see that small little bit of dirt in you, in your eyes. I don't know exactly what's going on, but in your case, apologising for a thousand and one times is useless, unless you really do stop it. So, you might want to consider when to say a 'Sorry' from deep down in there. I can't believe you.
XY
You'll Never Walk Alone
9:52 PM