PLANS BY Sepp Blatter to force soccer clubs to field a majority of their nationals in starting line-ups were wrecked yesterday when the European Commission denounced the scheme as illegal and discriminatory.

In a severe blow to the Fifa president's proposals ahead of its congress in Sydney tomorrow, Vladimir Spidla, the European commissioner for employment, said any EU country in which the Blatter formula was applied would face legal action.

Blatter has been lobbying for support for his scheme, which would compel clubs to have six players from their country in the starting XI. The plan appears to be unworkable if not applied in Europe.

This month the European parliament voted by more than 10 to one against Blatter's plan and yesterday's statement represented a pre-emptive strike against him ahead of the Sydney congress, which is to vote on 6+5. Blatter has been seeking backing by complaining about the Premier League's domination of the Champions League this year, arguing that his scheme would create a more level playing field.

Spidla countered that EU regulations on free movement of labour and non-discrimination had to be observed. "Professional footballers are workers," he said. "The proposal is directly discriminatory and therefore incompatible with EU law."

Instead, the commissioner voiced support for Uefa's scheme. European football's governing body is proposing that teams competing in its competitions must include a quota who have spent three years from the ages of 15 to 21 at that club or another in the same country, but do not need to be from that country.

"The rule proposed by Uefa seems to be proportionate and to comply with the principle of the free movement of workers," he added

Blatter intimated he still intended to put his plan before Fifa's congress in Sydneyd.

"Now, it is the moment for the Fifa Congress to express its views," he said.