MUNICH, June 8 (Reuters) - FIFA President Sepp Blatter said on Thursday all of Europe's top professional leagues should be cut to 18 clubs next year, but his plan provoked immediate opposition.
Blatter said he wanted the reduction to be in place for the 2007-08 season after the 56th FIFA Congress endorsed a package of Task Force 'For the Good of the Game' proposals.
But he met opposition from the English Premier League whose spokesman Dan Johnson said there was no way that this would happen.
'The only people who are going to tell us how to run the Premier League are the league's 20 member clubs' chairmen.
'They are the only ones who can change the composition of the league and they are just not going to go for this - no way.'
'There is no appetite for this kind of change in the make-up of our league,' he said.
Blatter's plans are expected to meet equally robust opposition in France, Spain and Italy where they also, like England, operate a 20-club top league.
If they refuse to comply, FIFA could choose to use sanctions at their disposal including a warning, a fine or suspension from the World Cup for the relevant national association.
But a World Cup shorn of the stars from teams like Italy, Spain, France and England would be almost unthinkable.
Speaking after the Congress had supported the proposal, Blatter confirmed that he expected his executive committee to carry the plan through in one year.
'Yes, now we have the power to do this after the support today from Congress,' he said. 'We have been given the power now to work on it.
'We will do it. I think the clubs will be happy and it will give four more days to the international calendar in those countries where they have 20 clubs.'
Source :
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story ... 15&cc=5901MUNICH, June 8 (Reuters) - FIFA President Sepp Blatter said on Thursday all of Europe's top professional leagues should be cut to 18 clubs next year, but his plan provoked immediate opposition.
Blatter said he wanted the reduction to be in place for the 2007-08 season after the 56th FIFA Congress endorsed a package of Task Force 'For the Good of the Game' proposals.
But he met opposition from the English Premier League whose spokesman Dan Johnson said there was no way that this would happen.
'The only people who are going to tell us how to run the Premier League are the league's 20 member clubs' chairmen.
'They are the only ones who can change the composition of the league and they are just not going to go for this - no way.'
'There is no appetite for this kind of change in the make-up of our league,' he said.
Blatter's plans are expected to meet equally robust opposition in France, Spain and Italy where they also, like England, operate a 20-club top league.
If they refuse to comply, FIFA could choose to use sanctions at their disposal including a warning, a fine or suspension from the World Cup for the relevant national association.
But a World Cup shorn of the stars from teams like Italy, Spain, France and England would be almost unthinkable.
Speaking after the Congress had supported the proposal, Blatter confirmed that he expected his executive committee to carry the plan through in one year.
'Yes, now we have the power to do this after the support today from Congress,' he said. 'We have been given the power now to work on it.
'We will do it. I think the clubs will be happy and it will give four more days to the international calendar in those countries where they have 20 clubs.'
Source : [url]http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=370415&cc=5901[/url]
