Blatter to block overseas plans

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The 20 clubs have agreed in principle to look at each playing an extra match every January in a foreign city - making 39 games a season - but Blatter claimed the Premier League were just interested in trying to earn more money.

Blatter said: "This will never happen - at least this will not happen as long as I am the president of FIFA."

He added: "Those that are richer than the others, they have more responsibility and what the Premier League is trying to do is contrary to this responsibility.

"This is something I cannot understand and definitely the FIFA executive committee will not sanction such an initiative.

"When it comes to a decision of the executive committee concerning this matter of the 39th round, and I am sure they will be against it, then it will not have a positive impact on the bid from England for the World Cup in 2018."

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore plans to meet Blatter, but the FIFA president said the proposals would have to get permission from all the football associations of the countries where the foreign matches would be staged.

"This will be very difficult," added Blatter. "This is abuse. The rich Premier League is trying to get richer and wants to expand the importance of that league."

The FIFA president's criticism follows strong opposition from UEFA counterpart Michel Platini and Asian federation chief Mohamed bin Hammam, and there is now a major doubt about whether the Premier League would even be able to find countries willing to hold the matches.

However, a Premier League spokesman said: "We look forward to the opportunity to meet with FIFA in order to discuss this matter in full. This was always the starting point in relation to this issue of sanction of our proposed international round and as such we will be making no further comment until after that time."