FIFA will have to start listening to UEFA

Following their meeting in Sydney in the early hours of the morning it has been confirmed that FIFA will pursue Sepp Blatter's "6+5" idea, which seeks to limit the number of foreign players a football club can field.

Crucially the European countries have only agreed to this if it is within the limits of the law, and as I have mentioned on here before, Blatter's plan as it stands would be illegal in Europe, as it discriminates on ground of nationality.

Of course Blatter being Blatter, is quoted on the BBC website as saying, "If there is a law, a law can be amended" - an attitude many football fans will recognise all too well.

Fortunately, Blatter has had to pledge to work alongside Michel Platini on the issue and hopefully the UEFA President will be able to point out the benefiits of UEFA's much more sensible (and legal!) "home-grown players" rule. Under this UEFA rules, a third of a club's squad will have to have come from their youth academy and junior teams. Like 6+5, it wants clubs to rely less on buying in talent, but it does not discriminate gainst people because of their nationality. It will be an incentive for clubs to invest in youth training in their local community, but without discriminating against foreign kids.

In short, much more sensible! Which is why I back UEFA, not FIFA, on this one..