Blatter to step up Euro quota bid

Fifa president Sepp Blatter has told the BBC he is ready to challenge the European Union to get a quota on foreign players within European teams.

Blatter made his comments in response to an NOP poll of football fans for BBC1's Football Focus.

He wants clubs to be limited to five foreigners in their starting XI to allow homegrown talent to flourish.

The proposal contravenes EU law but Blatter says football needs to act and says a reduction "is a good solution".

"Workers in Europe can circulate freely but footballers are not workers," he said.

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

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/football_focus/7028310.stm