Fifa votes for foreign quota rule

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Fifa has voted overwhelmingly in favour of president Sepp Blatter's 'six-plus-five rule', which would limit the foreign players in a team to five.

Fifa wants to bring in the proposal by 2012/2013 but the European Commission says it is discriminatory and illegal.

FA chief executive Brian Barwick is unconvinced by the strategy and he said: "It's about balance.

"We still believe in the meritocracy of players in the team on performance and on ability first and foremost."

The Commission believes a quota on foreign footballers would be incompatible with EU law which allows workers to move freely between member countries.

"We're giving red card to the rule," said Vladimir Spidla, Europe's Commissioner for Equal Opportunities.

But Blatter is keen to work with the EU and Uefa to make it a reality and he has adopted an approach of "consultation not confrontation", according to the BBC news reporter Phil Mercer.

As reported by BBC sports editor Mihir Bose last week, Blatter has backed off his initial intention to take on the EU if necessary to force the plans through.

"The congress was very happy in a result of overwhelming majority, with 155 votes in favour and five against. 155 yes and five no," said Blatter after the Fifa congress, which was held in Sydney, Australia.

"It is an overwhelming support to this resolution.

"The Fifa president has asked, together with the Uefa president (Michel Platini), to explore - and explore is not to discuss, it's to go in depth - within the limits of the law.

Blatter has a meeting with the EU on 5 June and he added: "Speaking about it is illegal? For whom? For when? If there is a law, a law can be amended."

John McDonald is a spokesman for the European Commissioner for Sport and he told BBC 5 Live he does not expect Blatter's ambitions to succeed on this front.

"It is a non-starter as far as we are concerned," he said.

"Interestingly the wording that Mr Blatter mentioned this morning at his press conference was that the resolution of FIFA is to explore within the limits of the law the 6 plus 5 rule.

"And they can explore as much as they like but unfortunately a 6 plus 5 rule is against Community legislation."

Blatter wants to restrict the number of foreign players in teams by the start in the 2010/11 season, with a minimum of four home-grown players.

He added he expects it to grow to six, with a maximum of five foreigners, by 2012/13 - and claims the plan has the backing of key European delegates.

In contrast, the "home-grown players" rule which is set to be expanded from next season so that eight players in a Champions League or Uefa Cup squad must have been developed by the club has received EU backing.

To be eligible, a player of any nationality must have been developed by the club for three years between the ages of 15 and 21.

Jan Figel, EU Commissioner for Education, Training and Youth, said Uefa's proposals did not discriminate against nationality and encouraged clubs to develop their academies.

"Measures which require the top European clubs to preserve quality training structures seem to me to be necessary," said Figel.

"The Uefa rule thus avoids the risk of professional football clubs abandoning training structures."