Liverpool FC Forum

by **Reg** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 1:31 pm

Blatter: I'm not anti-English

FIFA president Sepp Blatter insists he is not 'out to get' English football and insists he has no axe to grind with Premier League clubs.

Blatter has caused controversy in recent times with his outspoken views on club ownership, the unhealthy number of foreign players in major leagues and an apparent lack of interest in England's 2018 World Cup bid.

Yet, on a brief visit to the north-west, where he took in Liverpool's Champions League triumph over Real Madrid on Tuesday night before heading to Manchester to see Sir Alex Ferguson's side tackle Inter Milan, Blatter insisted he had no axe to grind with the country that gave birth to the game.

Instead, he claimed to enjoy Premier League combat and be delighted the Glazer family and Liverpool owners Tom Hicks and George Gillet have invested vast sums in the game.

"I like England - and English football," said Blatter.

"It is said I don't like the Premier League because of its global influence. But the Premier League is absolutely exceptional.

"The Premier League is the best organised league and the best marketed league in the world. It is very attractive and as a football fan I am very happy.

"I don't know if it is English football - but it is football played in England."

Not English football in either the playing sense or in ownership given half the Premier League is either owned by non-UK nationals or an individual who prefers to reside away from the mainland.

Yet, for all the previous bluster, and the attacks from his former right-hand man and current UEFA president Michel Platini, Blatter is happy to give the principle of foreign ownership a qualified thumbs-up.

"I met the Gillet family and the owners of Manchester United. I can only thank them for putting money into football," said Blatter.

"As long as they bring money to football that is good.

"Perhaps it is not the right solution, in other countries, the owners of the clubs are the fans.

"But the system here in England allows it, and I have no problems."

Equally, while the principle of neutrality prevents Blatter from going too far on the merits of England's attempt to land the World Cup, he did offer a pretty decent endorsement.

"I must be neutral but England is a very good contender for 2018. It has a very strong bid."

In each case though, there is a pretty sizeable but. Not that it affects 2018 planning too much, other than bring an air of confusion over the actual bidding process.

Among the 11 confirmed bidders, who will submit official documentation to FIFA HQ in Zurich on Monday, are two joint bids, one from Holland and Belgium, another from Portugal and 1982 hosts Spain.

Yet it seems such bids will eventually be ruled inadmissible given the strength of the sole entrants, including England, Russia and Australia, as Blatter confirmed if a country is deemed suitable to host the World Cup on its own, all joint bids will be rejected.

"As long as we have individual candidates that can organise the World Cup alone, this should be the principle. Double no," he said, before adding that Spain had until May 14, 2010 to change their minds.

More pointedly, Blatter will meet Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore on Monday as a precursor to a debate within the European Union over whether a football player constitutes a worker, shedding some light on the FIFA president's 'six-plus-five' project.

"I have nothing against England. But we have a problem with the concentration of the best players in the world in the Premier League," said Blatter.

"As president of FIFA, I have to look at the game globally.

"The clubs must have a local, regional and national association. If you look at the big leagues, especially in England, there is no national identity in the clubs. That is wrong."

by **account deleted by request** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 1:33 pm

Liverpool owners Tom Hicks and George Gillet have invested vast sums in the game.

Sorry for going a bit off topic Reg, but I had to laugh at this bit mate

by **Sabre** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 1:35 pm

"I don't know if it is English football - but it is football played in England."

This is a clear dig from where I sit.

I think Platini and football in general have to accept there are cycles, and just because right now the cycle is English dominant, we don't have to change anything.

It's always been that way, and the only decent thing you can do is to congratulate the English League and keep improving yourself.

by **stmichael** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 2:09 pm

I believe him when he says he like English clubs. Blatter is clearly a huge fan of the Blue Square Premier.

by **Greavesie** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 6:31 pm

the way our teams are in Europe, I reckon its a matter of time before it changes to three from England

by **JoeTerp** » Sun Mar 15, 2009 3:17 am

I am not really one to comment not being English and not having grown up on the game in England, but how much has the English game really changed from all this influx of foreigners? Haven't most of these players had to have adapted their style to fit into the English style? Isn't what makes the game English really its unique atmosphere, weather, refs, coaches, etc? I do hear about how teams approach to games has changed as in smaller teams coming out more defensive against the top sides than in years/decades past, but is this a foreign influence? Based on what I have read of Sabre, I would say no.

Shouldn't the ultimate result be a stronger England side? When its players have to fight tooth and nail against good foreigners just to make it at their own club and then once they are playing regularly, they are playing against some of the best teams in the world, wont that only make them better? I think the only problem could be with a lack of English players getting club European experience, and thats why I think its a good idea to have the UEFA squad rules for teams in international competitions.

by **JoeTerp** » Sun Mar 15, 2009 3:18 am

Greavesie wrote:the way our teams are in Europe, I reckon its a matter of time before it changes to three from England

that seems unlikely because that would likely cut a dent into the tv viewing numbers worldwide

by **Big Niall** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 11:35 pm

i like the idea of english clubs having some english players, carra might only have a couple of years left and then if gerrard is injured, there could be an english team with no english players playing in europe.

I don't know whether spain,italy, germany have as few of their own nationality. I don't think so though.

by **JoeTerp** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 4:40 am

Barca, Villareal, and Bayern can come close, but I don't think any starting XI in the next round will satisfy 6+5 if it were a rule.

by **das20093** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 10:31 pm

[quote]Liverpool owners Tom Hicks and George Gillet have invested vast sums in the game.

I had to laugh as well. What money???

by **Lando_Griffin** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 3:32 am

Blatter isn't the problem, it's that filthy faggot-fancier Platini who has it in for anything not Continental.

by **yolz** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 4:08 am

I agree with Sabre, it's a cycle
Just a decade and a half ago, the Italian league was in the lime light, where most of the best international players went to strut their skills on the pitch.
It then moved on momentarily to the La Liga before the Premiership stole all the lime light
To be fair, the premiership is indeed the best marketted league right now.
And keep in mind the rich tradition of the clubs, the passion of the fans, the quality of the players in the Premiership
No matter what Blatter or Platini says, they can't argue with the fact that the Premiership is THE football league at the moment, and long may it lasts!!!! :laugh:

Liverpool FC Forum

Blatter: i'm not anti-english

Who is online