FIFA overwhelmingly support '6+5' rule
 Franz Beckenbaeur was passionate about it and Michel Platini toed the party line.

Soccer's world governing body voted overwhelmingly Friday to pursue a "6+5" rule that restricts the number of foreign players to five in a club's starting lineup in domestic leagues, despite it contravening European law on freedom of movement for workers.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter was bullish about the rule being implemented, and enlisted the help of two of the game's greats before his '6+5' resolution was put to the ballot here at the 58th congress.

German legend Beckenbauer, chairman of FIFA's football committee, talked about the need to restore the national identity in European leagues where some teams were devoid of native players.

Platini, the former France great, was between a rock and hard place as head of the European confederation, but supportive of the thrust of the rule change.

Blatter's proposal was supported by 155 delegates, with five against and 40 abstaining. Despite the overwhelming support for the objectives of the rule, few of FIFA's European delegates expect it to be implemented without a fight.

In other decisions, the Congress formally accepted the revised World Anti-Doping Agency drug code and changes to the qualifying criteria for players switching nationalities, defined its principles of promotion and relegation in national leagues to ensure it is based on sporting and not financial merits, approved a revised budget for 2007-2010 period, and agreed to hold next year's Congress in the Bahamas from May 30-June 2.

Blatter also outlined his proposal to hold the votes for both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups at the same time - most likely in 2011. He will propose that at the next FIFA executive committee meeting.

But most debate centered on the "6+5" rule, which Blatter said is designed to protect the national identity of clubs, stop the player drain from Africa and South America, ensure more development of home-grown talent, and slow the growing imbalance between national leagues.

He highlighted the English Premier League, where of 471 first-team players, 280 - or almost 60 percent - were not eligible to play for England.

Blatter proposed a stepped introduction, with a 4+7 rule in place by 2010, 5+6 in 2011 and the 6+5 in 2012.

Since the Bosman ruling in 1995 defined professional players as workers, the European Union has prohibited restrictions on the free movement of players within the EU.

"If you look at the workers in general, you have 2 percent (of workers from other EU countries) for the general population in the 27 EU nations, but 43 percent for the footballers," Blatter said. "Footballers should be known by some other identity, not simply as workers.

"When trying to introduce such a solution, naturally we shall not forget we're living in a world where we have to face national and international law. It's not our intention, and has never been, just to go into confrontation with our governmental authorities."

He said FIFA's statutes meant it had to intervene to prevent political interference in the running of national associations.

"The European Union is an economic and political power with 27 members and 30 (soccer) associations - 15 percent of the total of the FIFA family. Shall they make the rules for all the others? This is political interference. We should not be afraid to intervene."

Blatter took confidence from the so-called "Lisbon Treaty" devised by the EU last October which he said gave "specificity" in structure and organization to sport as opposed to other employment.

England's Football Association chief executive Brian Barwick was not as convinced.

"It's an exploration rather than a definitive position," Barwick said. "Certainly we can understand the general principle of further exploration, but we're keen exponents of things staying within domestic and international law. Any initiative of its type would have to fit that criteria for us."

Barwick said he still advocated selection based on merit.

"We're still great believers in the meritocracy, that players should be on the team on performance and ability first and foremost," he said.

England was among the nations expected to fight the Blatter proposal, as the rise of the Premier League to dominance on and off the field was fuelled by foreign players.

"Where there is a will, there is a way and we shall try in consultation, not confrontation," Blatter said. "Thank-you for support to protect the youth, and football."

Platini said he supported the "objectives" of "6+5" despite his confederation proposing alternative quotas based on where players were developed rather than their nationality - proposals that would adhere to EU employment law.

"The '6+5' rule is a European rule first and foremost ... it concerns the European leagues, the European Court, the European Parliament ..." he said. "That puts European football at risk. I fully share both the philosophy and objectives of the 6+5 rule - it would be an excellent thing for football and the identity of national teams.

"For Europe, it's not a comfortable position, but we'll do everything we can to assist the FIFA president reach this objective."

In other business, FIFA officially closed the books on its failed relationship with MasterCard Inc., announcing a US$49 million (?31.5 million) profit for 2007 despite a payout of US$90 million (?58 million) to the credit card company.

MasterCard and FIFA met in court in 2006 over MasterCard's right to sponsor the 2010 and 2014 World Cups.