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By Darren Ennis
BRUSSELS, March 16 (Reuters) - The European Union's top sports regulator said dangerous tackles should be dealt with on the soccer pitch, dismissing FIFA president Sepp Blatter's view that the matter should handed to the civil courts.
The head of soccer's world governing body believes players who commit dangerous tackles should be banned for life and such incidents treated as criminal acts.
But EU Sports Commissioner Jan Figel said FIFA should avoid advocating court cases and instead concentrate of educating coaches and players about the dangers of such actions. He also said the rules needed to be tougher and clearer for referees.
"I like the preventive rather than the reactive approach. It is better to educate, to advocate tolerance, an observance of the rules and team spirit," Figel told Reuters in an interview.
"It's important that we try to develop steps and policies which are compatible and realistic from an implementation point of view. We shouldn't give too much work to the courts."
Michel Platini, president of UEFA, the game's governing body in Europe, has also slammed Blatter's reaction following a recent tackle on Arsenal's Eduardo da Silva in which the Croatia striker suffered a broken leg and ankle dislocation.
Platini played down the significance of the incident and said the game was "a lot more dangerous" when he played.
"We shouldn't have foggy rules or ideas flying about. FIFA has its own responsibility here in setting clear rules and the importance of self-regulation," Figel said.
"Coaches also have the major responsibility in this. I work on the golden rule that you don't do to others what you don't want done to yourself."
HOMEGROWN PLAYERS
Figel was speaking ahead of a meeting of EU sports ministers on Monday in Slovenia which is set to send a positive political signal to UEFA over its rules on home-groomed players, but is again due to rubbish Blatter's proposals to limit the number of foreign players available to clubs.
Under Blatter's so-called "6 plus 5" system -- backed by FIFA's executive committee on Friday -- a team must field a minimum of six players eligible to represent the club's home international side, contrary to the EU's rules on free movement of labour.
UEFA's "home-grown player rule" sets a quota of locally trained players at clubs, but without any discrimination on nationality.
"I have much more sympathy for promotion of training than the very simple mechanism of nationals and non-nationals," Figel said.
The European Commission is due to publish its opinion on the matter next month. UEFA's legislation already has the backing of the Dutch and French government with Paris expected to formally endorse the Commission's report during its six-month presidency of the 27-member bloc which begins on July 1.
