SOCCER:Fifa will face a flood of court cases similar to the landmark "Bosman ruling" if they pursue president Sepp Blatter's proposal to limit the number of foreigners playing for clubs, EU officials said yesterday.

The head of soccer's world governing body is also expected to face opposition from a number of top clubs over his plan to cap the number of non-nationals in a team's starting 11 at just five per match from 2010.

"This contravenes the EU treaty and internal-market rules on the free movement of workers," said Frederic Vincent, spokesman for European Union sports commissioner Jan Figel.

But Blatter wants sport to be given an exemption from EU rules, in particular those governing labour and multi-billion euro television rights, under the new reform treaty due to be agreed upon by EU governments this month.

"You cannot compare a worker with a football player," Blatter said yesterday.

"You cannot consider a footballer like any normal worker because you need 11 to play a match - and they are more artists than workers."

But Vincent said: "A worker is a worker, so a player is a worker who earns a salary like everybody else."

The G14, which represents 18 of Europe's most powerful clubs, warned Blatter last December against creating such a rule. Its head at the time, Arsenal's then vice-chairman David Dein, said the G14 would challenge such a restriction in court.

"I have the support from Franz Beckenbauer, Johan Cruyff and Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson," Blatter said.

"We have no immediate comment to make as yet," a G14 spokesman said.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, whose squad for their Champions League outing this week contained just one English-born player, said yesterday he firmly opposed the move by Blatter.

One EU official described Blatter's latest move as "a Bosman two waiting to happen".

"Bosman was costly for the sport. This could be even more costly for Fifa, Uefa, but especially any club which decides to go down this path," the official said.

Authorities such as Fifa and Uefa, national associations, or clubs that endorse Blatter's plan and limit foreign players could be challenged in their national courts or ultimately at the ECJ, leading to expensive legal bills.

Blatter wants a new Fifa strategic committee to look into the issue next week before an executive committee meeting this month. He hopes to finalise the plans in time for the Fifa Congress in Sydney next May.