Blatter backs billionaire club owners in Platini row

FIFA president Sepp Blatter backed foreign owners such as those at Manchester United and Liverpool, describing them as "good for the game" and ruled out any interference by soccer's world governing body yesterday.

Blatter's comments were in stark contrast to the views expressed last month by UEFA president Michel Platini who described such owners as "a serious threat" to European soccer.

"No, I think they (foreign owners) are good for the game as long as the money comes from the right sources," Blatter told a group of reporters on a conference call.

Last month Platini wrote to all 27 European Union leaders asking them to protect the sport from "the malign and ever-present influence of money".

"This investment of money is what allows football to become so exciting," Blatter said.

Platini has accused Liverpool and United's US billionaire backers as only being interested in their investments, unlike Chelsea's Russian owner Roman Abramovich and Milan's Silvio Berlusconi whom he believes love the game, not just the money.

"The English Premier League is one of the most attractive, best promoted leagues in the world, if not the most attractive and economically powerful league in the world, so this will of course attract lots of powerful investors," Blatter said.

"As long as the money is correctly handled, then we do not have anything bad to say about these owners. Also we do not see a need for the EU to interfere in this."

Club ownership rules and third-party ownership of transfer rights are due to be discussed by FIFA's new Strategic Committee next week, which will be chaired by Platini.

International discrepancies over third-party ownership rules were highlighted by the row over the controversial status of former West Ham striker Carlos Tevez.