The FIFA congress has announced on Thursday that all European leagues will be shortened to a maximum of 18 club-sides, but already the Premier League have contested the ruling... (continued below)

If this ruling comes into effect, this will affect four of Europe's top professional leagues, in England, Italy, Spain and France, and will be brought in in-time for the 2007/08 season.

“This was the decision today of the congress, that we will contact the Associations and we will do that…definitely,” said FIFA President Sepp Blatter on Thursday.

Blatter was speaking after the 56th annual FIFA Congress had endorsed the proposed ruling, 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."

“Don’t be afraid, I think the leagues and clubs will be happy, and in the International and national calender those with 20 teams and going down to 18 teams will save four dates…for the recuperation of the players and for cup or national appearances.”

But the English Premiership have responded with the Premier League spokesman Dan Johnson claiming that FIFA do not have the power to push through such changes.

"Sepp Blatter cannot enforce this. There is only one group of people that can decide on the make-up of the Premier League, and that is the twenty clubs.

"There is no appetite for them, as a collective, to reduce the size and FIFA cannot force it upon them."

Johnson continued: "We reduced the size of the of the league from 22 to 20 in 1995/96 and since then FIFA have expanded the Champions League, expanded the World Cup and brought in the Confederations Cup and World Club Championship.

"It's a bit rich for them to be talking about reducing the numbers of matches."

Bookmark/Search this post with:

delicious | digg | google | yahoo | technorati