Foreign player quota difficult issue for FIFA Congress

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NASSAU, June 2, 2009 (AFP) - The 59th FIFA Congress will tackle the tough issue of limits on foreign players in professional football teams, along with doping and other strategic issues facing the game when it convenes on Wednesday.

Joseph Blatter, president of world football's governing body, will oversee discussions of the so-called 6+5 rule that would restrict clubs a maximum of five foreign players in their starting lineups.

Also on the agenda are Olympic age limits, preparations for the 2010 South Africa World Cup, and how best to protect national football federations from interference from politicians in their decision-making.

"I think at the end of the Congress on Wednesday, everybody will see what we're doing in FIFA, we're doing what we can do and we can all be happy," Blatter said.

But the "6+5" rule promises to prove contentious and a heated debate.

The European Union has said such a plan would violate its discrimination laws. If the measure comes to a vote, representatives from European soccer federations have said they will abstain.

"We have no choice," Belgian federation president Francois De Keersmaecker said. "Is it legal or is it illegal?"

Doping will also be a key topic. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and FIFA were at odds recently on certain provisions in the world anti-doping code, namely the requirement that players make themselves available one hour per day, every day, for testing.

FIFA had contended that players should be subject to testing when with their teams, but not when on holiday and said WADA policy treated every athlete as a suspected cheat.

World anti-doping chief John Fahey said FIFA's stance "ignores the reality of doping in sport."

But Blatter said on Sunday that he and Fahey had discussed matters in a video conference last month.

He said WADA had notified FIFA that its anti-doping policy was "totally in compliance" with that of WADA, apart from the issue of reintegrating players after a suspension.

FIFA believes a player should be able to resume training with his club or federation before the suspension ends.

As for the Olympics, FIFA are to consider lowering the top age for players at the Games from 23 to 21, a move that has critics.

"This ammendment will be withdrawn," Senegalese federation representative Mamadou Diagne Ndiaye predicted to AFP. "Because otherwise why not just have children play?"