http://stateofthegame.co.uk/2006/03/02/sepp-blatter-unveils-controversial-plans/ Football News, Views, Articles and Discussion Sat, 31 Jul 2010 05:10:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 http://stateofthegame.co.uk/2006/03/02/sepp-blatter-unveils-controversial-plans/#comment-214 JackP Fri, 03 Mar 2006 17:56:32 +0000 http://stateofthegame.co.uk/2006/03/02/sepp-blatter-unveils-controversial-plans/#comment-214 Sepp Blatter (and others) have wanted this (16 teams) before. No doubt they'll want it again. It's like me wanting to score the winning goal for Newcastle in the Champions League final. It won't happen. The homegrown players thing... not in the EU I don't think. Restraint of trade? At best you'd say "can be of any EU nationality but must have come through the youth ranks in that particular country". And that would lead a scenario where all the big clubs buy up every 18-year old Belgian going. But we're heading down that road anyway... Sepp Blatter (and others) have wanted this (16 teams) before. No doubt they’ll want it again. It’s like me wanting to score the winning goal for Newcastle in the Champions League final. It won’t happen.
The homegrown players thing… not in the EU I don’t think. Restraint of trade? At best you’d say “can be of any EU nationality but must have come through the youth ranks in that particular country”. And that would lead a scenario where all the big clubs buy up every 18-year old Belgian going. But we’re heading down that road anyway…

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