Foreign players will continue to flood Premier League after Euro-MPs brand nationality quotas discriminatory

FIFA is due to approve the so-called "six-plus-five" rule at its Congress in Sydney, Australia, at the end of this month.

That would mean at least six out of 11 players in a team must be nationals of the team's home country and no more than five can be foreigners.

But a European Parliament vote on a new EU policy for sport voted down the idea and urged FIFA instead to back UEFA's planned "home-grown" rule - no nationality requirement but at least 8 out of the team locally-trained.

Belgian Christian Democrat MEP Ivo Belet and author of the Parliament's report on the future of professional football in Europe, commented: "FIFA wants to oblige clubs to invest more in 'home-grown' talent, a goal which we support 100%.

"Unfortunately, however, the six-plus-five rule is not compatible with the free movement of persons in the EU.

"The European Treaty is very clear on this point - discrimination on the basis of nationality is not allowed, this also counts for football.

"We therefore ask FIFA to join forces with the European Parliament and the European Commission and fully back the 'home-grown' rule, which is not perfect and is fairly modest in its approach, but it does encourage clubs to invest more in locally-trained talent.

"Moreover, this measure does not impose any limitations as regards the nationality of the players."

Conservative MEP Chris Heaton-Harris, a qualified football referee, accused MEPs and the European Commission of interfering in the world of sport - not just by attacking FIFA's proposals, but by seeking to create an EU policy for sport.

The document sets out ideas to tackle corruption, racism and drugs in sport as well as plans to halt big business abuses of sport and to distribute sporting rights for television more evenly.

The Lisbon Treaty, now subject of national ratification in EU countries, gives the EU increased powers in the area of sport, but Mr Heaton-Harris warned: "Politicians should not be interfering in sport, but the EU seems determined to add bureaucracy to anything it can.

"Sport should be run by the people who know it best - leagues, clubs and governing bodies - and certainly not by MEPs. Sport does have some problems, but the solutions suggested by the Parliament are misguided and far too prescriptive."

He said the plans would not address the problems of amateur or professional football: "We should just enjoy the fantastic entertainment that football provides.

"MEPs, and politicians in general, should stick to watching sport instead of trying to regulate it."