Fifa Thumbs-up For 'six-plus-five' Player Rule

[Jockstar]

Football's world governing body today voted in favour of the 'six-plus-five rule', which would put a limit on the number of foreign players each team could field.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has said he hopes the controversial rule will be in place by the 2012/13 season.

His vision appears to be a step closer following the overwhelming backing at FIFA's annual congress in Sydney, Australia.

The rule would limit every team to only five foreign players in their starting XI.

The FIFA boss has pointed to the Premier League's dominance in this season's Champions League as as example of why his organisation must implement the idea, despite legal concerns from the European Union.

Stressing FIFA would proceed 'within the limits of the law', Blatter said this week: 'It's to make sure that there is better balance in the competitions and not only three or four teams in a league of 18 or 20 are fighting to be the champion and all the others are just there to not be relegated.

'As (Newcastle manager) Kevin Keegan recently said: 'I can only start my season to fight to be fifth or sixth or seventh. It is impossible for me to go into the final four'.

'At the end of the Champions League in Europe you have in the quarter-finals four teams of the same association; in the semi-finals three of these teams.

'Then in the final you are surprised that you have two teams of the same association?

'We want to bring some remedies and this is the six-plus-five rule's objective.'

Despite FIFA backing the plan, the European Union has already indicated it would contravene European laws.

'We are giving the red card to the 6-plus-5 rule,' Europe's commissioner for equal opportunities, Vladimir Spidla, said on Wednesday.

FIFA's controversial proposal is different from a 'home-grown players' rule proposed by UEFA, European football's governing body.

UEFA defines 'home-grown players' as team members who, regardless of age or nationality, have been trained by their club or by another club in the National Association for at least three years between the ages of 15 and 21.

The Commission has approved the UEFA arrangement because, says Brussels, it contains no player conditions based on nationality.

Spidla said: 'Compared with the intentions announced by FIFA to impose the so-called '6-plus-5 rule', which is directly discriminatory and therefore incompatible with the EU law, the 'home-grown players' rule proposed by UEFA seems to me to be proportionate and to comply with the principle of free movement of workers.'

After today's vote, Blatter told a press conference: 'Inside the congress of FIFA today we had sunshine on different items, important ones.

'Because today we were somewhere in the crossroad between the interests of clubs and national teams, and the congress of FIFA has given very clear indications of where we have to go.

'Together with the chairman of FIFA's football committee, Mr Franz Beckenbauer, and Michel Platini, we come to this resolution.

'The congress was very happy in a result of overwhelming majority, with 155 votes in favour and five against. 155 yes and five no.

'It is an overwhelming support to this resolution.

'The FIFA president has asked, together with the UEFA president, to explore - and explore is not to discuss, it's to go in depth - within the limits of the law.

'The application of such a system would start only at the end of 2010 and we would start progressively with four, five and six.

'Even if it is necessary, because we have had Manchester United winning the European Champions League with six players eligible for the Great Britain team at the beginning of the match, so we are not far away.

'Chelsea had four. Zenit St Petersburg, when they played Glasgow Rangers, they had up to seven. Glasgow had four or five.

'We are not far away from a situation.

'Speaking about it is illegal? For whom? For when? If there is a law, a law can be amended.

'I have already now a meeting with the speaker of the European parliament - chairman as we say, but you say in the British version, the speaker - on June 5 in the afternoon in Brussels, as he said, to explore now the ways.

'If he says to explore the ways, it's not to say 'stop it', so you see we're on the right track.''

[Prakanong]

The Scots voted for it - i just heard Gordon Smith trying to defend it.

He tried to say Blatter is only doing it because the English national team is not doing well and evidenced b the non-Euro appearance

What utter tosh - it the poitics of envy pure and simple.

They then had the Euro Commissioner on radio saying its an absolute non-starter according to Euro law.

Blatter - if it fails will he retire lkke the nonce should?

[mrtoad]

FIFA and UEFA may want this to happen, but it's not going to happen because of the trade and employment laws under the EU, who are a far more powerful entity than the two football organisations.

I'd also agree with Prakanong, that this whole thing smacks of envy. I do wonder if this would hvae been an issue if there had been 4 Italian or Spanish teams in the quarter finals.

As regards to the England national team, then there should be some more focus on grassroots level youth development, and a restriction on foreign players coming into the academies, which in certain clubs are full of foreign players. The EPL could also put some financila incentive into the monies that it dishes out, in giving more to clubs who play more English players; Cricket in the UK already does this because of the influx of Kolpak players.

[EastSaxCol]

The Scots voted for it - i just heard Gordon Smith trying to defend it.

He tried to say Blatter is only doing it because the English national team is not doing well and evidenced b the non-Euro appearance

What utter tosh - it the poitics of envy pure and simple.

They then had the Euro Commissioner on radio saying its an absolute non-starter according to Euro law.

Blatter - if it fails will he retire lkke the nonce should?

That's right it contravenes the EU right to freedom of movement to work. It's going to take a lot of pusuading to get them to make any exceptions on that one, especially I suppose when we consider the weight of the 'big Clubs' with their multi-national financial backers.

[scousemouse]

Chances of this happening ???? .............. slim and none and slim's left town .

[Jockstar]

A bit more about it. FA backing the plan?

FA give qualified backing to '6 plus 5'

Updated: May 31, 2008, 1:23 PM UK

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FIFA president Sepp Blatter has received the support of the Football Association for their controversial 'six-plus-five' proposal designed to limit teams' use of foreign players.

Blatter has said he hopes the rule, allowing teams to name only five foreign players in their starting XI, will be in place by the 2012-13 season.

His vision appears to be a step closer following the 'overwhelming' backing at FIFA's annual congress in Sydney with 155 votes in favour and only five against.

The FA have confirmed they voted for it because of their desire to increase the development of 'high-quality' English players, but admitted the rule seems to contravene European law.

The FA voted 'in favour of further exploration' of FIFA's proposal while the Premier League have outlined their concerns.

The European Commission have already branded the proposal 'unacceptable' and 'a non-starter'.

An FA spokesman said: 'Bringing through more high-quality English players in the future is an absolute priority for the FA.

'One of our reservations has always been that the 'six-plus-five' rule appears to contravene European law and we welcome further exploration of its legality.

'However, this is a question of balance and we believe first and foremost in a meritocracy system, where players appear in club teams based on performance and ability.

'This is at the core of our coach and player development strategy over the coming years.'

However, the Premier League - whose ultimate priority is maintaining the quality and profile of the English top-flight competition - issued a statement insisting while they share a desire to see more homegrown players, it must remain fair.

'EU official spokespeople have repeatedly said that a nationality-based player quota system would be unlawful within the European Union,' the statement said.

'They have also stated that any form of gentleman's agreement to achieve this objective would be instantly challengeable.

'We want to see the greatest possible number of England-qualified players coming through in the Premier League, but this has to be based on merit and quality, and there is no doubting that foreign talent has aided the technical development of the English game.'

Blatter has pointed to the Premier League's dominance in this season's Champions League as as example of why his organisation must implement the idea.

Despite FIFA backing the plan, the European Commission has already indicated it would be illegal.

'The European Commission is showing a red card to the 'six-plus-five' rule,' said European Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs Vladimir Spidla.

'This would be direct discrimination on the basis of nationality, which is unacceptable. It's a non-starter.

'Professional football players are workers, therefore the principle of non-discrimination and the right to free movement apply to them.

'If EU member states allowed the application of the six-plus-five rule they would be in breach of EU law and players who are discriminated against could take the member states to court - and they would win.'

[boiledegg]

The FA pay above market rates for the part time job which is the England managers job, if they paid the manager 1 million a year which is more then Italy/Germany/France/Brazil pay this would leave another 4 million to invest in buying football fields and training kids.

Then if they hadnt wasted 1 billion pound on a football stadium (wembley) and built one for 50 million as every other country can manage theyd have another 950 million to spend on grassroots level.

I think it is a great idea which clubs should agree on without FIFA needing to impliment a law as for no other reason it means clubs which are the focal point of the local community having to produce talent.

The EU is ran by marxist fascists and the current law without doubt is stopping young English talent getting through.

I agree that foreigners have made the premier league what it is today, but only the top ones which they will still attract, there are so many waste of space talentless foreigners stopping young kids getting a chance.

Fifa could invoke a law capping the amount of players from African/Asian/Americas countries this would be a start.

[mrtoad]

A bit more about it. FA backing the plan?

FA give qualified backing to '6 plus 5'

Updated: May 31, 2008, 1:23 PM UK

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FIFA president Sepp Blatter has received the support of the Football Association for their controversial 'six-plus-five' proposal designed to limit teams' use of foreign players.

Blatter has said he hopes the rule, allowing teams to name only five foreign players in their starting XI, will be in place by the 2012-13 season.

His vision appears to be a step closer following the 'overwhelming' backing at FIFA's annual congress in Sydney with 155 votes in favour and only five against.

The FA have confirmed they voted for it because of their desire to increase the development of 'high-quality' English players, but admitted the rule seems to contravene European law.

The FA voted 'in favour of further exploration' of FIFA's proposal while the Premier League have outlined their concerns.

The European Commission have already branded the proposal 'unacceptable' and 'a non-starter'.

An FA spokesman said: 'Bringing through more high-quality English players in the future is an absolute priority for the FA.

'One of our reservations has always been that the 'six-plus-five' rule appears to contravene European law and we welcome further exploration of its legality.

'However, this is a question of balance and we believe first and foremost in a meritocracy system, where players appear in club teams based on performance and ability.

'This is at the core of our coach and player development strategy over the coming years.'

However, the Premier League - whose ultimate priority is maintaining the quality and profile of the English top-flight competition - issued a statement insisting while they share a desire to see more homegrown players, it must remain fair.

'EU official spokespeople have repeatedly said that a nationality-based player quota system would be unlawful within the European Union,' the statement said.

'They have also stated that any form of gentleman's agreement to achieve this objective would be instantly challengeable.

'We want to see the greatest possible number of England-qualified players coming through in the Premier League, but this has to be based on merit and quality, and there is no doubting that foreign talent has aided the technical development of the English game.'

Blatter has pointed to the Premier League's dominance in this season's Champions League as as example of why his organisation must implement the idea.

Despite FIFA backing the plan, the European Commission has already indicated it would be illegal.

'The European Commission is showing a red card to the 'six-plus-five' rule,' said European Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs Vladimir Spidla.

'This would be direct discrimination on the basis of nationality, which is unacceptable. It's a non-starter.

'Professional football players are workers, therefore the principle of non-discrimination and the right to free movement apply to them.

'If EU member states allowed the application of the six-plus-five rule they would be in breach of EU law and players who are discriminated against could take the member states to court - and they would win.'

I find this somewhat curious, considering that the FA's Youth development plan under Howard Wilkinson is one of the big reasons why football clubs have bee looking overseas to fill up their youth teams. No suprise though really, considering that the men in suites are a complete set of tools and don't realise it.

[boiledegg]

Thing is there is nothing stopping clubs to employ 100 EU footballers if they wish, but they are only allowed to play 5 of them under this proposal.

Didnt ManU win the prior Champions league under the old rules that were similar.

Its the only time the fcukwits at FIFA have proposed to do something for the good of football IMO.

[mrtoad]

Thing is there is nothing stopping clubs to employ 100 EU footballers if they wish, but they are only allowed to play 5 of them under this proposal.

Didnt ManU win the prior Champions league under the old rules that were similar.

Its the only time the fcukwits at FIFA have proposed to do something for the good of football IMO.

No not in 1999. The rules had been changed by then, but the spine of that UNitred team was mainly British anyhow.

[Jimjim]

Fifa could invoke a law capping the amount of players from African/Asian/Americas countries this would be a start.

Funny how that seems such a good solution to you but it would clearly contravene EU law and that's the whole problem with this proposal.

[boiledegg]

Fifa could invoke a law capping the amount of players from African/Asian/Americas countries this would be a start.

Funny how that seems such a good solution to you but it would clearly contravene EU law and that's the whole problem with this proposal.

Why would it contravene EU law? they arent EU citizens!

But then Platini goes and makes a spiteful comments about the Premier League which isnt in his remit -

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_3658657,00.html

Now he should stick to attempting to invoke this law and get over his champagne socialist jealousy, as he is a man who made money from going to Italy when all the money was there.

One of the reasons English football suffers is because parents in upper working class areas are to sh7t scared to let their kids play football, and kids arent allowed to play football at dinner break, as schools are afraid that "little Jacks" parents will sue the school if he so much as scrapes his knee.

I took my mates boys to football practice they are 7 and 9 and the person doing the coaching was a woman, now call me sexist but women know sweet FA about football and should be kept well away and take their daughters with them and let them play seperately. They were playing on half the pitch with full size goals it was a joke.

To add one more point us Brits spent far more on tennis coaching then the Aussies and we are useless, i was told by a Aussie tennis coach this is because all the money goes to the "old boys network" with useless untrained coaches, the same must apply in football.

[MiG16]

Beautiful game has its ugly side

from the Sydney Morning Herald

When the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, visited England this year, he was armed with two diplomatic assets. The minor one was his wife; the major was Arsene Wenger, the charismatic French manager of the Arsenal football team.

Locals joked that Sarkozy held his summit with the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal's home ground, because Arsenal was more like France than England. The jest referred to Wenger and the heavy concentration of French players in the squad. Arsenal is renowned for its silky skills but virtual absence of English players. There is rarely even just one in the regular first team.

Some see Arsenal as the prototype of modern football. Lots of trophies, world-class players, beautiful style, a cultural bridge to Europe, Africa and beyond. [ well ofcourse this is my main motivation for posting this article ]Fans seem to have accepted and embraced the trend. Its 60,000-capacity stadium is sold out every game, with another 30,000 on the membership waiting list.

Arsenal is one of an elite of European clubs who have taken football to a new level of internationalism. On the surface, support has never been higher. Tickets to the European Championships, Euro 2008, beginning this weekend in Austria and Switzerland, were oversubscribed by a factor of 10. Those who miss out huddle together over the television in lounge rooms, or watch on the streets, where parents and children wear team shirts like uniforms, in proud allegiance to their tribe.

Yet increasingly, lovers of the game are wondering what it means to have successful clubs that are local in name only. Critics are openly lamenting the level of foreign players in England - only 38 per cent of those in the Premier League are English, leaving insufficient opportunities for locals to develop. The anger bubbled over this year after England failed to qualify for Euro 2008.

The pattern is echoed across the channel. In Spain, the two biggest clubs, Real Madrid and Barcelona, both heavily stacked with foreign players, regularly win international silverware while the national team has been a spectacular underachiever for years. Italy has three major clubs laden with foreign talent, enjoying similar success. Across Europe, the major club tournament, the Champions League, is dominated by the same few clubs from the same few countries.

Sport is now big business, and business is tough. "If you win, you don't care where the players come from. If you lose, you wonder why," is how a European sports official summed it up recently.

But now the people running the game have decided the problem is more than jealousy, and it needs fixing. Over the past year, Sepp Blatter, president of football's governing body, FIFA, has floated a proposal to restrict to five the number of foreign-born players in club teams, ensuring six spots for locals.

The Blatter plan has provoked intense debate in Europe, but muted coverage in Australia, where clubs run a distant second in the national psyche to the Socceroos brand. The fledgling domestic competition, the A-League, is filled with locals who dream of following Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka, Mark Schwartzer and others to Europe.

Blatter's plan was endorsed by last month's FIFA Congress in Sydney, but a quota would breach European law guaranteeing freedom of employment. Blatter says he will try to negotiate with the European Union, which has flatly rejected the proposal.

Michel Platini, head of Europe's football body, UEFA, has weighed in with his own proposal, that clubs playing in European competition must include in their 25-man squads at least four players from their own academies, and a further four from an academy within the same national association.

Implicit is the acknowledgement that the business of football has moved ahead of the game, bringing benefits and problems many did not foresee. Mega-clubs are superseding their host countries as the centre of power; footballers have become an army of highly-paid, globalised labour; national boundaries have blurred, and traditional ideas of "foreigner" are becoming outmoded.

At one level, the unfettered movement of players across continents, and the growth of international club competitions, demonstrates the success of the new Europe - integrated, tolerant and speaking one common language.

.............

The game was changed profoundly by two events in the 1990s: the 1995 Bosman ruling in the European Court of Justice, which unlocked players' market value by freeing them to move between clubs, and the rise of pay TV, with huge money for broadcasting rights entrenching the financial advantage of the big boys. Its global profile now lures billionaires to indulge in childhood dreams and buy clubs like trophies, making a mockery of professional administrators, team loyalty and home-grown character.

The sheer ruthlessness of their power has also caused many to question the values governing the clubs they buy. In Italy, the Inter Milan manager, Roberto Mancini, has just been sacked after leading his team to its third straight domestic title. The Russian oil magnate Roman Abramovich dumped the manager of Chelsea after the London club finished second in both the EPL and Champions League.

.......................

Football Association officials admit English players are not good enough, and the British sports minister, Gerry Sutcliffe, says the England team lacks technical expertise for international success, yet the English Premier League is the best in the world.

In Germany, France and Holland - where national teams are paramount - there is not the same resistance to a quota. For others, a cap on foreign players may be more positive. This would include Brazil, which exports so many players to Europe, and Australia, where the A-League is increasingly a cheap nursery for rich clubs in Asia and Europe.

..............................

ANY economist will tell you that quotas are bandaids that only conceal inefficiency. Some say football's underlying problem is lack of investment in grassroots coaching - of players, and of coaches. Money has papered over the deficiency in England, and parochialism has distorted it in Australia. Whereas continental Europe has a long tradition of football academies for up-and-coming players, and for teaching ex-players how to coach, as distinct from manage, the Anglo world has neglected these educational foundations.

...................................

Michael Visontay was the recipient of the 2007 EU-Qantas Journalism Award. He recently returned from a trip to Europe, where he spoke to football officials.

full story on smh link above....

[thecatman]

Thing is there is nothing stopping clubs to employ 100 EU footballers if they wish, but they are only allowed to play 5 of them under this proposal.

Didnt ManU win the prior Champions league under the old rules that were similar.

Its the only time the fcukwits at FIFA have proposed to do something for the good of football IMO.

No not in 1999. The rules had been changed by then, but the spine of that UNitred team was mainly British anyhow.

It was this year too, 6 English players in United's starting line up for the final.

[mrtoad]

Thing is there is nothing stopping clubs to employ 100 EU footballers if they wish, but they are only allowed to play 5 of them under this proposal.

Didnt ManU win the prior Champions league under the old rules that were similar.

Its the only time the fcukwits at FIFA have proposed to do something for the good of football IMO.

No not in 1999. The rules had been changed by then, but the spine of that UNitred team was mainly British anyhow.

It was this year too, 6 English players in United's starting line up for the final.

That was through choice, not by enforcement.

[thecatman]

Didnt ManU win the prior Champions league under the old rules that were similar.

No not in 1999. The rules had been changed by then, but the spine of that UNitred team was mainly British anyhow.

It was this year too, 6 English players in United's starting line up for the final.

That was through choice, not by enforcement.

That's exactly my point Mr T. Any rule change doesn't necessarily mean a drop in standards. In fact, I think there's a hel_l of a lot of 'very average' or 'sub standard' foreign players at alot of the 'lesser' Premier league clubs anyway, who could easily be replaced by home grown talent given the chance.

[mrtoad]

Didnt ManU win the prior Champions league under the old rules that were similar.

No not in 1999. The rules had been changed by then, but the spine of that UNitred team was mainly British anyhow.

It was this year too, 6 English players in United's starting line up for the final.

That was through choice, not by enforcement.

That's exactly my point Mr T. Any rule change doesn't necessarily mean a drop in standards. In fact, I think there's a hel_l of a lot of 'very average' or 'sub standard' foreign players at alot of the 'lesser' Premier league clubs anyway, who could easily be replaced by home grown talent given the chance.

I think you're totally right, there are far too many "Carlos Kickaballs" around the whole League pyramid these days, who are no better than what is available through local sources. I really hope that some sort of solution can be made, to encourage clubs to use home grown players, but as this is not something that the football authorities have a lot of juridiction over, it will continue.

[Prakanong]

Didnt ManU win the prior Champions league under the old rules that were similar.

No not in 1999. The rules had been changed by then, but the spine of that UNitred team was mainly British anyhow.

It was this year too, 6 English players in United's starting line up for the final.

That was through choice, not by enforcement.

That's exactly my point Mr T. Any rule change doesn't necessarily mean a drop in standards. In fact, I think there's a hel_l of a lot of 'very average' or 'sub standard' foreign players at alot of the 'lesser' Premier league clubs anyway, who could easily be replaced by home grown talent given the chance.

I think you're totally right, there are far too many "Carlos Kickaballs" around the whole League pyramid these days, who are no better than what is available through local sources. I really hope that some sort of solution can be made, to encourage clubs to use home grown players, but as this is not something that the football authorities have a lot of juridiction over, it will continue.

Do English players not price themselves out of the market with too high wage demands - not talking about the real top end but the ones where foreign players are brought in as they are cheaper in the middle range?

[mrtoad]

Didnt ManU win the prior Champions league under the old rules that were similar.

No not in 1999. The rules had been changed by then, but the spine of that UNitred team was mainly British anyhow.

It was this year too, 6 English players in United's starting line up for the final.

That was through choice, not by enforcement.

That's exactly my point Mr T. Any rule change doesn't necessarily mean a drop in standards. In fact, I think there's a hel_l of a lot of 'very average' or 'sub standard' foreign players at alot of the 'lesser' Premier league clubs anyway, who could easily be replaced by home grown talent given the chance.

I think you're totally right, there are far too many "Carlos Kickaballs" around the whole League pyramid these days, who are no better than what is available through local sources. I really hope that some sort of solution can be made, to encourage clubs to use home grown players, but as this is not something that the football authorities have a lot of juridiction over, it will continue.

Do English players not price themselves out of the market with too high wage demands - not talking about the real top end but the ones where foreign players are brought in as they are cheaper in the middle range?

It's not just the waged emands, but also the high transfer fees that clubs ask for English players whihc is also prohibitive.

[boiledegg]

It's not just the waged demands, but also the high transfer fees that clubs ask for English players whihc is also prohibitive.

I agree that English players do seem to be expensive but foreign clubs have cottoned onto the fact Englsih clubs will pay anything and i think the gap is closing.

The young right back Chelsea have just bought from Portugal was 20 million, he is untested in a top flight league but is priced in the same region as Micah Richards who IMO is the best young defender ive seen.

Bentley is being quoted at around 15 million, now these young French midfielders that Arsenal are looking at are priced in the same region again Bentley has proved his worth and has Premier league experience.

Ryan Babel went for 13 million last year Stuart Downing is being quoted at 10 million they are the same age, both left footers, both not too good IMO.

Alonso is leaving for 15 million, and Liverpool are hoping to get Barry a bit cheaper despite Barry being in far better form for club and country.

Ramsay of Cardiff who ive never seen is being chased by everyone is priced at 5 million, if the same clubs went after a sought after French/Portugese/Brazilian etc... star he'd more then likely a cost little more.

[Jimjim]

Fifa could invoke a law capping the amount of players from African/Asian/Americas countries this would be a start.

Funny how that seems such a good solution to you but it would clearly contravene EU law and that's the whole problem with this proposal.

Why would it contravene EU law? they arent EU citizens!

Doesn't matter. If you read the second article in this thread it's said that the EU has a law against discriminating based on nationality. Doesn't matter if they're EU citizens or not. Thus, your suggestion would be considered racist in the EU.