Six + five will = legal chaos in football

With his customary lack of regard for political reality, FIFA president Sepp Blatter is apparently intent on pushing through his ill-conceived proposals to force football clubs to have quotas on foreign players. The proposals, commonly referred to as the 'six plus five' rule would force clubs to field at least six players from their own country, and will be voted on at FIFA's annual congress in Sydney next month.

Notwithstanding the fight that Blatter faces to get national football associations to agree (he needs 75% support of the 208 national associations eligible to vote), this idea would fall foul of EU employment law, in particular, rules on the free movement of workers. Indeed, if the 'six plus five' is adopted, it is anticipated that it would lead to a plethora of legal disputes, on the grounds that it would see discrimination against players on the grounds of their nationality.

FIFA's 'bull in a china shop' tactics are in marked contrast to the approach taken by UEFA on the same issue. UEFA continues to work alongside the European Parliament and the Commission to get backing for its 'home grown players' rule, which requires clubs competing in European competitions to have a quota of players who have spent at least three years in a team's youth development set-up. Next season, clubs must have at least eight home-grown players in their 25-man squads, a realistic measure that forces clubs to develop their talent in youth academies rather than relying on being able to outspend their rivals in the transfer market, but also respects EU law.

In contrast, Blatter's misguided strategy seems to be an exercise in confrontation rather than a constructive attempt to safeguard the future of football.