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By Ossian Shine
SYDNEY, May 29 (Reuters) - While one political headache was soothed on Thursday with the lifting of Iraq's suspension from international soccer, another still lurked in the background as FIFA president Sepp Blatter opened the sport's global congress.
Welcoming the soccer world to Sydney's Opera House for the sport's 58th congress, Blatter painted a bright picture for the future of the sport but one cloud remains on the horizon in the form of his controversial "6+5" proposals.
Despite fierce opposition from the European Union, which considers his plans to limit the number of foreigners at soccer clubs unlawful, Blatter says he will push ahead with the proposals and FIFA congress members will on Friday vote on the subject.
The EU executive has offered FIFA an olive branch by formally backing the "home-grown player rule" of European governing body UEFA, in a bid to avert Friday's vote. Blatter is determined, though.
On Thursday at the opening of the congress, he alluded to the controversial vote when he spoke of soccer's social responsibility.
"Football is touched by political dimension. We are going to discuss tomorrow (measures) to protect our game, to protect our national teams, to protect the national identity of the clubs and to give motivation to young players," he told an audience including Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
BETTER FUTURE
"Football represents one billion people who are directly or indirectly touched by our game and that is a huge social responsibility.
"Let's stand together and look forward in our football family. We can use football to bring more hope.
"Let's all build a better future."
Certainly, quotas on foreign players do not figure in the European Union's plans for the future and the 27-member bloc has given Blatter's plans the red card.
"If any country allows its soccer associations or leagues (to implement the plan), they will be in violation of EU rules which would oblige the Commission to apply infringement proceedings (court action)," EU Employment Commissioner Vladimir Spidla told reporters in Brussels.
However, Blatter is not convinced that his proposal does contravene European laws because it merely restricts the number of foreign players who start each game, and does not place any restrictions on the number of them who sign contracts with the clubs.
He hopes to introduce the quota from 2010 with a minimum of four home players, going up to five in 2011 and the full six by 2012.
FIFA can impose such a rule on all its 208 associations if at least 75 percent of its members vote in favour at its annual congress. Each member has one vote.
