League to battle UEFA’s ‘underage’ transfer plans

THE Premier League will attempt to head off UEFA’s attempt to ban the transfer of players under the age of 18 when Europe’s sports ministers meet later this week.

UEFA insisted they will join the Premier League to oppose plans for a European-wide regulator of sport which will exert financial control on clubs.

But European football’s ruling body will continue to campaign for the ban on young players being transferred.

The Premier League believe however, that UEFA are still trying to increase their power and will head out to the ministers’ meeting in Biarritz tomorrow and Friday to lobby against any changes.

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore said they were happy to back FIFA’s less draconian rules on young players agreed last month.

Scudamore said: “FIFA have just issued, at the back of their last executive meeting, some new tightening of the rules on the transfer of players under the age of 18.

“When you look at them we are wholly supportive of them, it does tighten things up, it does address some of the issues of the movement of minors and their education and protection principles, so we have no problem with a harmonisation in regulation.”

The issue is likely to be the biggest hot potato in Biarritz after UEFA president Michel Platini backed away from the French sports minister’s proposal for a European-wide super-regulator that would be able to impose rules on English clubs’ debts. William Gaillard, UEFA’s director of communications said Platini will address the sports ministers on Friday and will not support a Euro regulator.

Gaillard added: “The president will call for a ban on underage transfers, and to stop the raiding of academies worldwide. We feel this is a really dangerous situation which borders on a violation of human rights.”

Leading figures in football, cricket, rugby union, rugby league and tennis met with sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe yesterday to register their opposition. Sutcliffe held talks with his French counterpart Bernard Laporte afterwards to register the British government’s opposition.

Shadow sports minister Hugh Robertson claimed the French proposals threatened the future of football.

He said: “The FA and the Government will destroy English football if these EU proposals are not defeated.

“We have the best football league in the world but if we are not careful the Government will sleepwalk into a disaster of epic proportions. These proposals must be rejected if we are to protect the future of the game.”