NEWCASTLE - FIFA president Sepp Blatter accused the Premier League of hoarding the world's best foreign football players on Saturday.

Blatter, who has been pushing for the introduction of a '6+5' rule that would force teams to start matches with at least six players eligible to play for the national team, said English teams can help other struggling leagues by cutting back on the number of overseas players they sign.

'In France they have an expression, 'L'appetit vient en mangeant,'' Blatter said. 'It means when you are at a good table you like to eat more and more and more - and this is the success story of the Premier League, but they should also look on the others.' Although teams would only be able to start with five foreign players under Blatter's proposed rule, there would be no limit on the number of foreign players under contract at a club.

'They can have 30 players on contracts who could all play in other leagues or even in the same league in other clubs, but they keep the best because they have the money,' Blatter said.

'The African market is practically drained. We are trying to install professional leagues there but there must be solidarity, especially in this economic crisis,' Blatter added. 'That solidarity means that those who have everything have to abandon something.' Four English clubs were in the top 10 of accounting firm Deloitte's latest ranking of clubs based on revenue.

'I don't know how long they will have the money,' Blatter said.

Blatter pressed his case for the '6+5' rule at an International Football Association Boarding meeting, noting that England's four Champions League teams were represented by only nine homegrown players this week.

Chelsea used four in its 1-0 win over Juventus, Liverpool had two on the field in its 1-0 win at Real Madrid, Manchester United used three in the 0-0 draw at Inter Milan, and Arsenal beat AS Roma 1-0 with an all-foreign lineup.

'Do you think that is the right thing? We are at a crossroads in Fida,' Blatter said. 'We have to intervene in football to make sure that club football is identified if not locally then nationally, that you have the majority of players from the same country in a team.

'If this is not possible we will have football on two levels, the rich and those who have nothing.' Not only Premier League clubs are packed with foreign players.

Liverpool had more Spaniards than Madrid while Inter Milan selected only three Italians. -- AFP