© EuroFootball.com
FIFA President Sepp Blatter has proposed to change the system of European national football leagues' seasons and to hold championships during the calendar year - that is, to start playing in late summer and finish in October.
The season in Western European leagues now operates on a fall-spring system: the championships start in August and end in May of the next year. Meanwhile, many Eastern European countries, including Lithuania, use the system of playing the season during summer and finishing it in late autumn due to different climate conditions and unsuitable weather for football during winter.
"I recently proposed to clubs to play during the summer. This would give players enough time to recover, and three weeks in winter could be allocated for national team qualifiers. This idea is supported by major European clubs," said the renowned S. Blatter in an interview with the German magazine "Kicker."
The innovative ideas-fueled FIFA President also stated that the overload of competitions could be further alleviated by expanding the World Cup qualification tournament in the European zone with more groups and fewer teams, satisfying the clubs' desire to reduce the number of national team matches.
Furthermore, the Swiss reiterated his belief that his long-discussed plan to reduce the number of foreign players in European club football will soon be implemented: "The 'six-plus-five' plan will undoubtedly be implemented. Firstly, it would strengthen the bonds between clubs and their fans, as well as provide more opportunities for talented players. Thirdly, it would ease the financial burden on clubs when they develop players themselves."
Blatter's plan would require teams to field at least six players who can represent their national team, with the remaining eleven mostly made up of five foreigners. However, imposing such a limit in the top European leagues may be impossible due to regulations governing the free movement of people in the European Union.
