18 Clubs for Top Euro Leagues
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FIFA demands top Euro leagues to be cut to 18 clubs
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.' -
will EPL agree?
less clubs only mean less revenue. -
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
For what?
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I really think the top leagues should cut to only 4 clubs, then every week it's the highlight, imagine week in week out liverpool-man utd-chelsea-arsenal... Then after 2 months new season, every 2 months comes new season, lol. I am crazy and stupid to suggest this, so is this idiotic Sepp Blatter.Originally posted by brotherchen1982:FIFA demands top Euro leagues to be cut to 18 clubs
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.' -
Sepp Blatter is getting senile. Time for him to go.
What is wrong with top leagues comprising no more than 20 clubs? Still remember someone wanted 16 top-flight clubs in each national league. -
fark blatter!!
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the EPL obviously play too many matches in a season.
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Actually, just scrap the Worthless Cup and the French League Cup will do.Originally posted by dragg:the EPL obviously play too many matches in a season. -
the clubs need the extra cash from these worthless cups.Originally posted by iveco:Actually, just scrap the Worthless Cup and the French League Cup will do. -
Premier League will remain with 20 clubs
The Premier League insist they are ready to rebel against FIFA plans to cut the number of teams in the English top-flight from 20 to 18.
Football's governing body have voted in principle for all leagues across the world to have no more than 18 clubs per elite division, but Premier League officials claim FIFA have no such power.
FIFA have acted to counter the growing issue over rest periods and players being released for international duty.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter believes an 18-club ceiling will free up more dates for national games and reduce fixture congestion.
He is hoping the format - which would also hit leagues in France, Spain and Italy - to be implemented by the start of the 2007-08 season.
Blatter is convinced the move would be popular with teams, but the Premier League insist their member clubs would vigorously object to the proposal.
Premier League spokesman Dan Johnson told PA Sport: 'Sepp Blatter cannot enforce this. There's only one group of people who decide the make-up of the Premier League and that's the 20 clubs.
'There is no appetite for them as a collective to reduce the size and FIFA cannot force it on us.
'We reduced the size of the league from 22 clubs to 20 in 1995-96, and since then UEFA have expanded the Champions League, FIFA have expanded the World Cup and brought in the Confederations Cup and World Club Championship, so it's a bit rich for anyone to talk about reducing the number of matches.
'We are the only people who have done so.'
Blatter, who announced he would be standing next year for a third term of office - at the end of which he would be 71 - approved a raft of new proposals in a bid to clean up the game.
But the issue of cutting numbers in worldwide leagues stood out.
Like England's Premiership, Spain's Primera Liga, France's Ligue 1 and Italy's Serie A are each made up of 20 teams.
Blatter explained: 'We now have the green light for 18 teams.
'Instead of playing 38 matches in the league, the clubs would only play 34. I can't imagine they would not be pleased.' -
with all the fifa campaigns like say no to racism, i think they should start one called say no to blatter
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Too much power in the hands of one person is a certain recipe for disaster, no matter what organisation is concerned.