Under FIFA's statutes, any competitive fixture played in a foreign territory needs the approval of the body's executive committee as well as the football association of the country in which the game is to be played.

FIFA will now ask the Premier League for the official documents relating to their proposals to hold 10 league matches in foreign cities from the 2010-11 season.

Blatter said: "FIFA has been made aware through media reports of these plans. We will expect official documents from the Premier League to be sent to us and the matter will be brought to the attention of the executive at our next meeting, who will then look at the matter."

The Premier League were keen to stress today they have only just begun the consultation process over plans to play an 'international round' of matches after Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson criticised the decision to go public on the issue.

Ferguson refused to give his opinion on the proposal, which would see every top-flight club play an extra match a season in a foreign city. The 20 clubs yesterday voted in principle to explore the proposal, which would take effect from the 2010-11 season.

Ferguson said: "What disappoints me is [United chief executive] David Gill phoned me and said 'keep this quiet, we are going to discuss it' and then it's all over the papers this morning.

"They can't keep their mouth shut down there.

"I think if they are going to do these things, they should have been enquiring and having discussions with managers and players before they come out with all this stuff and make an issue of it.

"These issues should be discussed internally by clubs before they come to this position we are in today but until I speak to David Gill again I have nothing more to say about it."

Responding to Ferguson's remarks, a Premier League spokesman said: "This is the start of the consultation process, not the end.

"It was given to the clubs yesterday so that they can initiate that process.

"This is a proposal which everybody knows needs a lot of work and a lot of consideration before it takes its final shape."

Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan was welcomed plans to take Barclays Premier League football to a wider audience.

He said: "From what I understand, it has been well thought out. It is a 39th game.

"The trouble with a lot of people is when something new comes into the arena, they want to find reasons to knock it.

"I can think of just as many reasons to say 'Wow, it's good'. It will give everybody in the world a chance to see it in areas where they don't get a chance to see football like that."

Sunderland boss Roy Keane has thrown his weight behind the plans.

He said: "I have to say, I think it is great. Change is good sometimes.

"Obviously, it depends who you are playing in that extra game - if we were playing one of the top four, I might argue then.

"Change is good sometimes. The Premier League has been brilliant."

Reading manager Steve Coppell has also given his backing to the proposals.

The former England winger welcomed the prospect of an extra fixture in front of a foreign audience.

He said: "It's good, it's innovative. We are the prime league in the world at the moment and I heard on the TV this morning that English Premier League football is seen in 200 countries across the world.

"So we have to do something to keep it in everybody's eye-line and I can only presume that the worldwide TV contract is up for renewal.

"There is no point in shying away from saying that football is all about money because it is and the Premier League has been unbelievably successful in acquiring money for its member clubs."

There has been contrasting reaction to the proposal from beyond these shores.

Football Federation Australia boss Ben Buckley would be happy to discuss the idea with Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore but the governing body are not currently aware of the proposal and prefer to focus on their own domestic competitions.

"FFA's overwhelming priority is to promote the Hyundai A-League and to continue to invest in, and grow, the game in Australia," Buckley said.

Japanese Football Association vice-president Junji Ogura was quick to play down the possibility of the Premier League staging fixtures in Japan.

"It sounds problematic," Ogura told PA Sport.

"We are, in principle, opposed to having their [Premier League] games in Japan as we have to protect our league and clubs.

"In Japan, we don't allow anyone to play a match that involves only foreign clubs and no Japanese clubs."

Los Angeles Galaxy general manager Alexi Lalas admits it would be an opportunity for American fans to see the level of the game in England, while a spokesman for the Spanish top flight insisted it was a good idea, but was not something La Liga clubs had yet discussed doing themselves.

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Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill has "an open mind" about the possibility of Premier League matches being played abroad.

He said: "I heard about it yesterday for the first time. I had no notion about it until then and even now, given a bit of time to digest it, I still have a wee open mind about it.

"There were certain things I thought 'that is interesting' and other aspects where I thought 'you need to give this a lot of consideration'.

"For example, I am a club manager and international friendlies are a bit of a bind. If you said they will disappear and we can use the extra time for a Premier League game somewhere else, then it is worth considering.

"I am a great advocate of a January break. As I know from my time at Celtic, you felt refreshed and ready to go for the second half of the season even though the games might be condensed after that.

"This is an extra fixture so you haven't lost one of your home games.

"But while I have an open mind, this extra game at a neutral venue could leave you feeling a bit peeved if a club next to you in the league might get an easier game than yourselves. It might have a big say at the end of the season.

"The other side of it is there is something novel and semi-exciting about it.

"You have to pay attention to the fans. There might be some who pride themselves on never missing a game and find they cannot afford to travel to wherever for the extra game.

"I just think at this stage it needs thinking about and I have an open mind."

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Prime Minister Gordon Brown urged the Premier League to "listen to the views of the fans" before moving ahead with the plans.

In an interview with Eamonn Holmes to be broadcast on Radio Five Live tomorrow morning, Brown added: "I have just come back from China and India and the support for the Premier League and people watching matches there is just incredible.

"Now if that is money that is going back into football, and if that is helping keep the price of tickets down in England, and if that means that more fans get more opportunities of going to matches as a result of that at a cheaper price, then that would be something that I think people would want to take into account.

"But, really, let's hear what the fans say on this."