Sepp Blatter, the Fifa president, says the dominance of English clubs in the Champions League proves the need for quota on the number of foreign players in the Premier League.

For the past two seasons, three English clubs have reached the semi-finals of the Europe's premier club competition, and Blatter fears their success could lead to a monopolisation of football on the continent. The president claims that as the club's become richer and more powerful they will continue to buy the best foreign players at the expense of developing their own homegrown youngsters.

Blatter, who appears determined to implement some of the new plans by 2010, would introduce a system in which each club would be forced to field six homegrown players. And while the Fifa president acknowledges the success of the Premier League, he believes the monopoly of the 'big four' is conducive to the development of the game in England and the success of the national team. "Shall we let the rich become richer and say nothing?" he said. "The big money is coming out of the Champions League - it's the biggest league in the world and practically 80 per cent of the income goes to the directly to the 32 participating clubs.

"This season, there were four English teams in the last eight, three in the semi-finals and two in the final. The Champions League has been very successful financially but it has also favoured national inequality. That's why, being in charge of football, I have to bring this item to the attention of the Congress.

"This is the sporting situation but let us start with our idea of the six-plus-five rule and then we will see what the difference will be in the future. This rule will be fighting against the monopolies of clubs and leagues. But we are not fighting the problem of money but for the identity of national teams."

The 71-year-old is in the second year of his third term as president and, although he has not ruled out a fourth bid for office, he believes his legacy hinges on enacting a quota system, in which six places in the starting line-ups for domestic league matches are reserved for players eligible to play for the national team. The Fifa president said he would aim to have a minimum of four domestic players by 2010, five by 2011 and up to six in 2012.

Blatter has also expressed alarm about the number of players, especially from Brazil - taking on foreign citizenship and then appearing for their new countries. Eduardo, the Arsenal forward, who plays for Croatia, is one example.

He added: "After only a two-year period, a player can receive nationality from another country and there is a danger that in 2014 half the players in the World Cup could come from Brazil! That's why the executive committee will propose to the Congress that only after five years being resident that a player can become a 'football citizen'."