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By Paul Virgo
ROME, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Plans by world soccer's governing body FIFA to impose quotas on foreign players at clubs would be good for the game but are doomed to failure, former Italy great Dino Zoff has said.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter won backing for his controversial "6+5 rule", which would limit the number of foreigners who can start a match to five, at a congress in May.
However, the concept clashes with European Union rules on the free movement of workers and Zoff sees no way over this hurdle.
"The world is globalised so it's impossible to close frontiers to foreign players," the 66-year-old former goalkeeper told Reuters.
"It would be good to have more balance, to put the brakes on globalisation a little, so that not all teams are made up entirely of foreigners and there's a percentage of domestic players.
"But European law does not allow it. This path cannot be taken. Nothing can be done."
'MODERN HEROES'
Zoff is glad the trend of English Premier League clubs being bought by rich foreign owners has not reached Serie A.
"I hope things continue as they are," said the captain of Italy's 1982 World Cup-winning team and the coach of the Azzurri side that reached the Euro 2000 final.
"In England lots of club owners are foreigners while this hasn't happened yet in Italy. Foreigners would be well accepted, I've got nothing against them, but if we can do things ourselves with people in Italy who invest in soccer, so much the better."
Zoff was speaking at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) before Wednesday's presentation of the new 'Football Against Hunger' campaign being run with the Association of European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL).
"As I'm a recognised figure, I hope my presence will encourage the public to think about the problem of hunger," he said. "We have to do something and I hope my name will get people to consider the state of things and address the problem."
Former Italy forward Roberto Baggio is also a sponsor of the awareness and fund-raising campaign.
"Hunger is not an inevitable ill," Baggio told a news conference.
"We must feel like modern heroes and heroines to fight and win this modern battle. Our generation can eradicate hunger."
