SEPP Blatter is known for getting an idea in his head and pursuing its implementation with all the aggression and gusto needed. The latest bee in the FIFA president’s bonnet is the 6+5 rule.
Originally pitched on local shores in Sydney last year, the ruling will force club sides around the world to start a match with six players eligible to play for the national team of the club’s country.
For the likes of Lucas Neill at West Ham, Tim Cahill at Everton and Harry Kewell at Galatasaray, the ruling shouldn’t matter too much. They should be classified within the top foreign players at their clubs, which also boast strong English/Turkish national players. However there are other examples which might not play out so well.
A perfect example is that of Socceroos midfielder Scott Chipperfield, who has just agreed a one-year extension to his deal at Swiss club Basel. At 33, with the World Cup taking place next year, Chippers needs to be playing at the highest level in preparation for South Africa.
It is likely Chippers will return home after the World Cup next year. At 34, he can play out his final couple of years in the A-League. However if the 6+5 rule was currently in place, Basel might look to blood a young Swiss player, than persevere with an aging foreign player. That approach is obviously the motivation for the ruling, but that would probably result in Chippers having to return home instead of staying in Europe for an extra year.
Great for the A-League to have a player of Chippers' quality return home, but it would also means his domestic season would end in February or March. At 33, Chippers can’t afford to have three or four months without competitive football before a World Cup. Losing his sharpness at his age will greatly obstruct his ability to perform on football’s biggest stage.
The 6+5 rule might also force Socceroos who are currently fringe players in Europe to head home to the A-League. Again, that’s great for the A-League, but while the standard and length of the league is still creeping up, we need all of these players fighting for a place in Europe’s top leagues, not coasting into an A-League team which will finish its season too early for a July competetion. There won’t be enough Socceroos returning to warrant an overnight upgrade in the quality of the A-League either.
The affects for the English national side could be the polar opposite, with the EPL flooded by the best foreign talent seeking bumper paydays. That is something which clearly vexes Blatter and Platini to the extent that 6+5 will be passed with an anti EPL-success slant.
Foreign-filled EPL teams may dominate the Champions League, but the English national side has been underachieving for decades. I’d point to a feature in the forthcoming FourFourTwo, where we look back at the West Ham youth team of 1999. Hailed as one of the best youth teams of all time, that year the side won the FA Youth Cup final 9-0 on aggregate. But for what looked like an unstoppable unit of youngsters, only Joe Cole and Michael Carrick have gone on to win major silverware. As the EPL grew in foreign imports, the mainly English set of youngsters failed to make the leap into any of the league’s senior teams.
If Pim prefers his players training in Europe, rather than playing in the A-League, he could find himself with a considerable headache if 6+5 gets passed. Love or hate Pim’s pro-European selection policy, it is the one used by a man who has taken the Socceroos to the brink of World Cup qualification.
The A-League needs to continue its route of expansion to lengthen the season and ensure players are in peak condition for major tournaments.
Another possible 6+5 outcome is that Aussies overseas, rather than simply returning home, find themselves increasingly pushed to the fringes of their club sides. The 6+5 rule means that six local players have to start each game, but clubs are allowed to have as many contracted foreign players as they want. Meaning that Aussie players won’t just be fighting for a place in the starting 11, but fighting for one of the starting five foreign places.
To highlight how that could pan out, is the example of Brad Jones at Middlesbrough. Despite Boro’s poor season, Jones has established himself as an EPL starter. He’s definitely getting valuable experience considering how many shots he’s dealing with each week!
Enter the 6+5 rule and Boro might look to start the likes of Germany’s Huth, France’s Digard and Aliadiere, Turkey’s Sanli, Jamacia’s King and record Brazilian signing Alves. What better excuse to blood local lad and Jones’ main number one rival, Ross Turnbull, than to give Boro more foreign options on the pitch? With the Jones versus Turnbull contest such a tight one, 6+5 could see this future Schwarzer replacement relegated to the bench.
Again his A-League return would be great for the league, but bad for the Socceroos. Jones really needs to be playing in one of Europe’s top leagues to take over from Schwarz.
The 6+5 rule hasn’t passed yet and its consequences are speculation at this stage, but we need our Socceroos playing at the highest level in Europe. The 6+5 rule could well impinge that.
Originally pitched on local shores in Sydney last year, the ruling will force club sides around the world to start a match with six players eligible to play for the national team of the club’s country.
For the likes of Lucas Neill at West Ham, Tim Cahill at Everton and Harry Kewell at Galatasaray, the ruling shouldn’t matter too much. They should be classified within the top foreign players at their clubs, which also boast strong English/Turkish national players. However there are other examples which might not play out so well.
A perfect example is that of Socceroos midfielder Scott Chipperfield, who has just agreed a one-year extension to his deal at Swiss club Basel. At 33, with the World Cup taking place next year, Chippers needs to be playing at the highest level in preparation for South Africa.
It is likely Chippers will return home after the World Cup next year. At 34, he can play out his final couple of years in the A-League. However if the 6+5 rule was currently in place, Basel might look to blood a young Swiss player, than persevere with an aging foreign player. That approach is obviously the motivation for the ruling, but that would probably result in Chippers having to return home instead of staying in Europe for an extra year.
Great for the A-League to have a player of Chippers' quality return home, but it would also means his domestic season would end in February or March. At 33, Chippers can’t afford to have three or four months without competitive football before a World Cup. Losing his sharpness at his age will greatly obstruct his ability to perform on football’s biggest stage.
The 6+5 rule might also force Socceroos who are currently fringe players in Europe to head home to the A-League. Again, that’s great for the A-League, but while the standard and length of the league is still creeping up, we need all of these players fighting for a place in Europe’s top leagues, not coasting into an A-League team which will finish its season too early for a July competetion. There won’t be enough Socceroos returning to warrant an overnight upgrade in the quality of the A-League either.
The affects for the English national side could be the polar opposite, with the EPL flooded by the best foreign talent seeking bumper paydays. That is something which clearly vexes Blatter and Platini to the extent that 6+5 will be passed with an anti EPL-success slant.
Foreign-filled EPL teams may dominate the Champions League, but the English national side has been underachieving for decades. I’d point to a feature in the forthcoming FourFourTwo, where we look back at the West Ham youth team of 1999. Hailed as one of the best youth teams of all time, that year the side won the FA Youth Cup final 9-0 on aggregate. But for what looked like an unstoppable unit of youngsters, only Joe Cole and Michael Carrick have gone on to win major silverware. As the EPL grew in foreign imports, the mainly English set of youngsters failed to make the leap into any of the league’s senior teams.
If Pim prefers his players training in Europe, rather than playing in the A-League, he could find himself with a considerable headache if 6+5 gets passed. Love or hate Pim’s pro-European selection policy, it is the one used by a man who has taken the Socceroos to the brink of World Cup qualification.
The A-League needs to continue its route of expansion to lengthen the season and ensure players are in peak condition for major tournaments.
Another possible 6+5 outcome is that Aussies overseas, rather than simply returning home, find themselves increasingly pushed to the fringes of their club sides. The 6+5 rule means that six local players have to start each game, but clubs are allowed to have as many contracted foreign players as they want. Meaning that Aussie players won’t just be fighting for a place in the starting 11, but fighting for one of the starting five foreign places.
To highlight how that could pan out, is the example of Brad Jones at Middlesbrough. Despite Boro’s poor season, Jones has established himself as an EPL starter. He’s definitely getting valuable experience considering how many shots he’s dealing with each week!
Enter the 6+5 rule and Boro might look to start the likes of Germany’s Huth, France’s Digard and Aliadiere, Turkey’s Sanli, Jamacia’s King and record Brazilian signing Alves. What better excuse to blood local lad and Jones’ main number one rival, Ross Turnbull, than to give Boro more foreign options on the pitch? With the Jones versus Turnbull contest such a tight one, 6+5 could see this future Schwarzer replacement relegated to the bench.
Again his A-League return would be great for the league, but bad for the Socceroos. Jones really needs to be playing in one of Europe’s top leagues to take over from Schwarz.
The 6+5 rule hasn’t passed yet and its consequences are speculation at this stage, but we need our Socceroos playing at the highest level in Europe. The 6+5 rule could well impinge that.
