UEFA warns of bad effect on national teams

UEFA warned yesterday that national teams and associations stand to suffer if legal action filed by the G14 against FIFA over the issue of the release of players for international duty proves successful.

"Our objective is to safeguard the specificity of sports. UEFA builds its competitions on the principle of solidarity," Lars-Christer Olsson said.

"Now we have a situation where big clubs are challenging FIFA over the release of players for international duty.

"Clubs want compensation to release of players for the national teams.

"But, that would be a blow for the national teams and the national associations because most of the income of UEFA and FIFA goes towards financing projects for the development of football. That applies to all member associations.

"While UEFA is aware of the challenge posed by the commercial side of elite football, our priority will always be to keep the football family together."

Olsson also defended UEFA's stance on the requirement of a minimum number of homegrown players in club squads from next season after a report from the European Parliament concluded that the rule may be in breach of EU laws on discrimination.

"UEFA asked for the advice of the European Commission when we were discussing the central marketing agreement for the Champions League," Olsson said.

"Such consultations are no longer possible, so we must make our own decisions.

"We believe that the rule on homegrown players is legally valid on the grounds that this is a sports rule which has no negative effect on freedom of movement.

"This rule has been generally well received by associations and countries but there has been some opposition, particularly from the English Premier League.

"We know that the European Parliament are looking into it. I guess there will be a legal test but it's early to discuss the matter."

The new rules, agreed in April, will apply only to clubs competing in Champions League and UEFA Cup competitions but UEFA is hopeful the quotas will also be adopted at domestic level.

From the start of the 2006-2007 season, clubs must include four homegrown players in their 25-man squads with the figure increasing to six in 2007-08 and eight in 2008-09.

Mindful of the European Union's vigorous protection of its 'freedom of movement' rules, UEFA's quotas refer to where a player has been trained rather than his nationality. However, the European Parliament report argued that this rule would indirectly discriminate against foreign nationals.

In Malta, regulations on non-Maltese players are much more restrictive with Premier League teams allowed not more than three foreign players on the field of play at any given time.