Sir Alex Ferguson has been outspoken in his support of FIFA President Sepp Blatter’s proposal that limits be imposed on the number of foreign players on European clubs. “It’s certainly not wrong that clubs should be seen to have a proportion of home-based players,” Ferguson said. Manchester United has a strong tradition of fielding mostly UK-based players. However, other top teams, notably Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal and, more recently, Rafael Benitez’s Liverpool, don’t. Ferguson used the matter as an opportunity to take a dig at Wenger in particular.
“I totally agree [with Blatter] but it would be a problem for a club like Arsenal,” he said. “That’s why they’ll protest the loudest.” Indeed, Wenger has complained long and loud about Blatter’s suggestion, claiming it would “kill the Premier League.” The Frenchman seldom fields an English player in his starting eleven, and prefers to buy from abroad, mostly in France.
Ferguson, meanwhile, believes foreign player restrictions would be beneficial to both the English game and fans alike. “It would be good to see more home-based players at the top clubs,” he said. “United’s critics would say, ‘It’s all right for you, you already have English players in your side.’ But I think if you asked a neutral, they would rather see more home-based players.”