Sepp Blatter: 6+5 can still happen

IRISHSPORTSGUY

Great stuff. Way too much power/talent hoarding in the bigger leagues these days

FIFA president Sepp Blatter wants to revive his so-called 6+5 proposal which would force clubs to field at least six players from their own country.

The idea won the backing of the FIFA Congress in 2008 but was ditched after it fell foul of European Union laws on the freedom of movement.

"Unfortunately the idea foundered on EU Employment Law - the right to work in the country of choice and individual freedom of movement," said Blatter in his column in FIFA's weekly magazine.

"However, we have not heard the last word on this subject. An Institute for European Affairs (INEA) expert opinion concludes that a "quota agreement" along the lines of the ‘6 + 5 rule’ is compatible with the law. It is therefore not too late to seriously revisit this idea."

Blatter said the rule would solve three problems in one go.

"It would improve the balance between club and national team football, preserve the clubs' national identity and increase the incentive for clubs to make more of their own youth products," he said.

"A glance at the leading leagues in Europe leaves no room for misinterpretation: foreign professionals form the majority in England (60.4 percent) and Italy (54.1), and that makes life hard for home-grown players.

"Naturally, the idea that competition is good for business also applies to football. But it has gone too far when up-and-coming young hopefuls no longer have a chance to prove themselves because foreign employees take their places in the team.

mike65

Bring it on! Liverpool easily covered for this

IRISHSPORTSGUY

mike65 wrote: »

Bring it on! Liverpool easily covered for this

Especially because Chelsea would look something like

Cech
Azpilicueta - Terry - Cahill - Bertrand
Lampard - Matic
Hazard - Willian - Moses
?



Man City

Hart
Richards, Kompany, ?, ?
Milner, Rodwell,
Navas, Toure, Silva
Aguero

Paully D

Blatter's first point - many people couldn't care less about the link between club and international football. In any case, clubs national identities were sold a long time ago. At the top level of the game most managers are foreign, most owners are foreign. In relation to youth products, any youth players that mid-lower level clubs produce are snapped up by bigger teams within a couple of seasons of them proving to be talented enough anyway. This rule would just cause that selling process to be accelerated.

Blatter's second point - if homegrown players are good enough, they usually get a shot. In recent times, Shaw, Barkley, Henderson, Sterling, Smalling, Jones, Hart, Stones, Carroll, Welbeck, Wilshere are all examples. Practically a full team. Of course some of them were purchased by bigger clubs, but that undeniably will happen even with this new rule, actually moreso.

Blatter's third point - as mentioned, the top clubs would then just move on to buying all of the English talent, which will make it even harder for the smaller clubs to keep up as they will still need to field six English players yet have their best ones taken away without the flexibility of replacing them with cheaper, and far more often better, foreign players. I'm not sure how this improves competition as Blatter says. Like FFP, purposely or not, it's more likely to be another way of trying to ensure that the status quo at the top can't be broken than helping competition.

It's difficult to see it coming in anyway. There's a world of difference between an INEA experts opinion and getting it though the courts.

"field" 6 players?

So if an English player (taking the pl for example) gets injured, you could only sub them with another English player?

It's a bit mad if you ask me.

GLaDOS

Assuming it means actually from the country and not just brought through the youth system, would seriously impact on Irish players gametime.

IRISHSPORTSGUY

Paully D wrote: »

Blatter's first point - many people couldn't care less about the link between club and international football. In any case, clubs national identities were sold a long time ago. At the top level of the game most managers are foreign, most owners are foreign. In relation to youth products, any youth players that mid-lower level clubs produce are snapped up by bigger teams within a couple of seasons of them proving to be talented enough anyway. This rule would just cause that selling process to be accelerated.

Blatter's second point - if homegrown players are good enough, they usually get a shot. In recent times, Shaw, Barkley, Henderson, Sterling, Smalling, Jones, Hart, Stones, Carroll, Welbeck, Wilshere are all examples. Practically a full team. Of course some of them were purchased by bigger clubs, but that undeniably will happen even with this new rule, actually moreso.

Blatter's third point - as mentioned, the top clubs would then just move on to buying all of the English talent, which will make it even harder for the smaller clubs to keep up as they will still need to field six English players yet have their best ones taken away without the flexibility of replacing them with cheaper, and far more often better, foreign players. I'm not sure how this improves competition as Blatter says. Like FFP, purposely or not, it's more likely to be another way of trying to ensure that the status quo at the top can't be broken than helping competition.

It's difficult to see it coming in anyway. There's a world of difference between an INEA experts opinion and getting it though the courts.

Sure it'd weaken the English game, but would it not be good for the European game as a whole? The Ajaxs' and Anderlechts' of this world would re-emerge as European forces. That simply can't happen the way football currently is - their best players are bought for peanuts in the bigger countries.

The chances of 'Super clubs' dominating the Champions League year after year would reduce.

Go away Sepp Blatter

LuckyLloyd

This is a nonsense idea to be honest. Football has moved on and developed revenue streams and structures that are a product of the elite nature of the Champions League. I felt the different qualification paths were a good idea, a reasonable way of dividing the pot a bit better. But a return to the early nineties? Nonsense.

rob316

Great let's drive the prices of English players up even further.

Francie Barrett

Silly rule. I think the present system of requiring 8 home-grown players in your squad of 25 is sufficient.

IRISHSPORTSGUY

rob316 wrote: »

Great let's drive the prices of English players up even further.

Less foreign players = Less attractive league = Lesser TV deal = Lesser transfer fees and wages

Wooden Jesus

Having to register a certain amount of Home grown players in the 25 man squad would be a better plan. Having to field 6 english players is ridiculous as you can't account for injuries and it would just turn smaller clubs into feeder clubs for the top teams

Pepe LeFrits

This would reduce the standard in the big leagues and the CL very significantly while strengthening the smaller leagues. I watch the PL & the CL, so not surprisingly I'm not enamoured with the idea.

iDave

I'm in favour of it in principle but I would worry about the prospects of Irish players. Could be good news for LOI.

gosplan

This would actually be worse.

Any half decent home grown player would immediately be snapped up by the big teams.

Richard Hillman

It would just lower the general standard of high level football. We should be trying to condense the talent not dilute it.

Iang87

iDave wrote: »

I'm in favour of it in principle but I would worry about the prospects of Irish players. Could be good news for LOI.

Most LOI clubs field 8-10 irish players a game anyway so I cant imagine it having any effect there

Pedro K

iDave wrote: »

I'm in favour of it in principle but I would worry about the prospects of Irish players. Could be good news for LOI.

How do you figure?

GLaDOS

Guessing he's thinking better Irish players might be more inclined to stay at home.

Most likely it would result in them either sitting on the bench more or player further down the league.

Won't happen anyway.

Seaneh

ScienceNerd wrote: »

Assuming it means actually from the country and not just brought through the youth system, would seriously impact on Irish players gametime.

Would force Irish players to stay at home and IMHO would be better, over all, for young Irish people who in the main end up chewed up and spat out of the english system by the time they are 18 and with a **** level of education to boot as not only is the english second level lower than Irelands but clubs provide a woefully low level even then.