FIFA to press on with proposal

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President Sepp Blatter has said he hopes the rule, allowing teams to name only five foreign players in their starting XI, will be in place by the 2012/13 season.

His vision appears to be a step closer following the "overwhelming" backing at Friday's FIFA annual congress in Sydney, Australia, with 155 votes in favour and only five against.

The Football Association have confirmed they voted in favour because of their desire to increase the development of "high-quality" English players, but admitted their concerns that the rule would seem to contravene European law.

The FA voted "in favour of further exploration" of FIFA's proposal but the Premier League have outlined their concerns.

"Bringing through more high-quality English players in the future is an absolute priority for the FA," an FA spokesman said. "One of our reservations has always been that the 'six-plus-five' rule appears to contravene European law and we welcome further exploration of its legality.

"However, this is a question of balance and we believe first and foremost in a meritocracy system, where players appear in club teams based on performance and ability.

"This is at the core of our coach and player development strategy over the coming years."

However, the Premier League - whose ultimate priority is maintaining the quality and profile of the English top flight competition - issued a statement insisting; "EU official spokespeople have repeatedly said that a nationality-based player quota system would be unlawful within the European Union.

"They have also stated that any form of gentleman's agreement to achieve this objective would be instantly challengeable."