Arsenal will need to bounce back from their 4-0 weekend defeat against Man Utd as European champions AC Milan are in town. Click here for the latest betting!

Sepp Blatter’s plan to introduce a quota on foreign players has been struck a blow by the European Commission.

FIFA president Blatter was hoping to enforce his 6+5 rule that would stop clubs from playing more than five non-nationals in an XI.

“The implementation by Fifa of a 6+5 rule in the European Union would violate EU law,” said an EC spokesman.

“The Commission is not considering any change to allow Fifa to push forward this idea. Fifa is aware of this fact.”

Despite the sttatement, Blatter intends to submit his idea to the Fifa Congress when it meets in Sydney on 29 and 30 May.

“Over the years and decades, by signing more and more foreign players, clubs have gradually lost their identity, first locally and regionally,” said the Fifa president when explaining his proposal.

A Fifa statement said that Blatter “will not tackle supranational organisations such as the EU but rather convince them of Fifa’s approach”.

But the EC said that would not happen and that his plan would still be considered “illegal”.

“It would appear that the wording of the new provision on sport in the Treaty is causing Mr Blatter and colleagues to conclude that the quota idea may yet see implementation because the new Treaty also mentions the ‘specificity of sport’,” continued the EC statement.

“It is extremely unlikely that the new Treaty provision on sport would lead to a new legal situation.

“Hence, a system of quotas based on nationality, as proposed by Blatter, is illegal under the current acquis and will remain illegal under the new Treaty.”

Arsenal will need to bounce back from their 4-0 weekend defeat against Man Utd as European champions AC Milan are in town. Click here for the latest betting!