Sepp Blatter, the Fifa president, wants football clubs to take on the European Union in the hope of restricting the number of foreign players in teams.

The issue of sport is on the agenda at the EU summit in Lisbon on October 18 and 19 and both Fifa and the IOC are demanding sport be given the power to organise their own competitions.

Blatter wants clubs to be limited to playing a maximum of five non-nationals in their starting line-ups to encourage the development of homegrown talent. Imposing such a quota would contravene EU employment laws on employment and free movement of labour but Blatter believes that this should be challenged.

“Football has never had the courage to go against this practice," the Swiss said. “When you have 11 foreigners in a team, this is not good for the development of football, for the education of young players, and there is a financial aspect, too.

“Workers in Europe can circulate freely but footballers are not workers. You cannot consider a footballer like any normal worker because you need 11 to play a match - and they are more artists than workers.”

Blatter added: “This is a matter of principle and we need to protect the national identity of the football clubs. This has several advantages - it will increase the possibility of players educated in the club to have access to the first team.

“That can have a direct impact, as it will be much cheaper for a club if you have your own educated players. The EU say that this is not possible based on free circulation of workers but in football principles are different - footballers are not workers and you must be 11 players not one."

If Blatter were to win his battle it would have severe repercussions for clubs in the Premier League, particularly the big four. Arsenal, for instance, have famously fielded a team containing all foreign players under Arsene Wenger.

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