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Blatter proposal threatens Inter
Friday 5 October, 2007

FIFA President Sepp Blatter pushes for a limit of five foreign players in the starting 11 for League matches – a ruling that would devastate Inter.

EU law led to the abolition of any rule limiting the number of foreign players a club could field, but Blatter argues that such guidelines shouldn’t apply to football.

“Workers in Europe can circulate freely, but footballers are not workers,” he told BBC Sport.

“You cannot consider a footballer like any normal worker because you need 11 to play a match – they are more artists than workers.

“When you have 11 foreigners in a team, this is not good for the development of football, for the education of young players, and there is a financial aspect too.”

Blatter’s aim is to force clubs to pick no more than five foreign players in their starting formation.

The re-introduction of a foreigners rule will be extremely difficult to implement as it is likely to meet with determined resistance from the biggest clubs in Europe.

Inter, for example, would see their formidable squad rendered impotent as they depend so strongly on their overseas stars.

In last weekend’s Serie A clash against Roma, the Nerazzurri didn’t send a single Italian on to the pitch with the starting 11 entirely composed of foreigners.

Roma, Juventus and Milan are less vulnerable as they all regularly play at least five Italians, but they would still see many of their expensive imports become useless.


::channel4::

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Well yes its 11 of the best then a good bench (plus a great coach) ... Thats a given.
But what I meant was Serie A, has more of an Italian feel to it. I mean you look at the Italian championship (regardless of the cugini of course) and can get that feel. You could say the same about the Bundesliga.

I too prefer to see each league have an indigenous core and feeling, we agree on that.

But what you said about the WC has nothing to do with this in my view.

In my opinion Italy and Spains best player doesn't even play in their own league - Toni and Torres - while only Beckham of any decent English players plays out of the country.

Is this a good or a bad thing?