Six plus five good idea but illegal: UEFA chief (SN)

UEFA president Michel Platini said Tuesday he believed FIFA counterpart Sepp Blatter's plan to get football clubs to play with six home-grown players and a maximum five foreigners was “a good idea – but illegal.”

“It's a good thing (but) completely illegal,” said the head of European football's European governing body following a UEFA executive committee meeting in Moscow.

“The executive committee thinks unanimously that the objectives of six plus five are a good thing for football but that it's completely illegal,” Platini said.

“We are waiting on a visit from the FIFA president to give us some explanation on the manner he wishes to present it to (FIFA's) congress,” which will take place on May 29 and 30 in Sydney.

On May 7, Blatter said he was going to see a mandate from the congress to discuss the issue with political and sporting authorities, Brussels and the 27 governments of the (EU) member states.

“The six plus five is not in contravention of the laws of the European Union because it does not interfere with the principle of free movement” of labour, Blatter said on that occasion.