It seems strangely fitting that FIFA have met Down Under to vote on a convention that could turn the game of football upside down.

Delegates from the sport's international governing body have met in Sydney and voted in favour of a rule that would limit the number of foreign players a team could field from the kickoff.

The so called “six-plus-five” rule requires that only five foreign players can make the starting XI of any team, ensuring a majority of domestic players in the pitch.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter is aiming to ensure a better balance to leagues throughout the world and open up the opportunity for any team to win their respective championship, not just an elite few.

While his idea seems to have the right motivation behind it, an almighty can of worms is being opened up which could change the face of the game.

It seems surprising that the president of the international governing body of the world’s most popular sport seems keen to restrict the diversity of teams around the globe. The sport is richer than ever because of its globalisation.

Blatter has had a history of controversy throughout his tenure as FIFA president. If you ever wondered who introduced such ridiculous reforms as the silver and golden goal rule, automatic bookings for removing shirts in goal celebrations and the removal of the privilege for the incumbent world champion qualifying automatically for the next World Cup finals tournament; that was our Sepp.

The European Union have already categorically “given the red card” to Blatter’s proposals, as the rule contravenes a directive that protects free movement of workers and guards against discrimination based on nationality.

UEFA have been discussing an idea of a “home grown” quota system, whereby a team must field a certain number of players who have trained for at least three years between the ages of 15 and 21 within the country they are playing in.

This would allow foreign nationals to be play so long as they can show they have filled these criteria.

Players such as Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas and Middlesbrough’s Robert Huth would be eligible as “home grown” under these rules, regardless of their Spanish and German roots. The EU has stated that this is a more workable solution.

A quick look at the EPL and the potential effect of the proposed changes is immediately apparent. Of the 20 teams involved in the 2007-08 season, only two clubs (Aston Villa and West Ham) managed an average of six or more Englishmen in their starting lineups.

The “Big Four” of Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal had an average of less than three English players, with Arsene Wenger’s men (unsurprisingly) coming out the worst overall with an individual average of less than one.

Across Europe’s major leagues on the last weekend of the season, the EPL and the German Bundesliga were unable to make the quota across the board in comparison to Serie A, La Liga and even the SPL, who made it easily.

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