[Irish_Cule]

Platini Plans To Stop 'Poaching' Big Four

UEFA president Michele Platini has launched a scathing attack on big English sides for their procuring of young players from foreign academies and plans to implement laws to stop it happening...

And he has pledged to work with politicians to ban clubs from signing any more 16-year-old boys from abroad.

The move by Platini, a former European Footballer of the Year and French international star, would have a huge impact on England's top four clubs, who have increasingly relied on foreign talent not just in their Premier League line-ups but also in their reserve and youth teams.

The former French international and now head honcho at the top of European football's hierarchy plans to contact the European Commission with a view to adjust labour laws to specifically tailor them to football, whereby minors would no longer be able to be picked up by foreign clubs.

The practice rife in England is pioneered by Arsene Wenger at Arsenal, but Manchester United and Chelsea have also gone in for various young talents, while Liverpool just this summer have done much of the same.

A disillusioned Platini announced: "I have told the European Commission that we should ban the transfer of minors.

"The first football contract that a player signs should be for club that trains them. You don't train someone to be sold, you train a player to play.

"It is important to protect our young people. Minors shouldn't be seen as a machine that can be transferred for the benefit of agents or clubs. They have time enough for that.

"I left for another country at 25. You don't need to leave at 15. It's to do with protecting social values, family values. There is no justification for buying them at 15, getting them over with parents, that is just not on.

"I really don't like it when a club like Lugano, Geneve, Brescia or Nancy train a player and then when they are 16 they are bought by much richer clubs. We're going to fight it."

Platini will be looking for the backing of French President Nicolas Sarkozy and sports minister Roselyne Bachelot in a bid to persuade the European Commission to introduce the new legislation.

"I am speaking to the European Commission regarding the specific nature of sport in European Law," he explained.

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This post has been edited by barcafan2175: 30 March 2008 - 12:10 AM

[nasal_kid]

wenger's boner just went down

[Beast]

Well done Platini.. well done... for all those who never gave the guy any chance...

it will be a tough war between the British media Machine and UEFA... Spain /France will give full backing to Platini

[mazammit]

I cant get my head around it. Surely we brought in messi in a similar way...

I understand that the likes of cesc, mérida etc have been with us much longer, and wenger is basically making us do all the hard work while he just lures the kid with a contract, but will this still allow clubs to bring in 13 year olds etc ala messi? Someone please explain the ins and outs to me cuz im lost here..

[Irish_Cule]

I think we paid Messi's club. This would prevent poaching in Europe. It only happens in Europe because of EU law.

[Lemmiwinks]

we didnt poach messi, we were the only ones willing to pay the medical bills.

[antonk]

Platini just clearly has a vendetta against the EPL, it's clear as day. Chelsea poached that Italian guy and he critisized us for it, but he seem to miss the news about Juve poaching a 15 year old. Wanker. I hope had a heart attack.

[CCLL]

I hope the new law about this will be enacted asap. Hunters eye Gai and are ready to so something.

[EvertonFan]

mazammit, on Mar 30 2008, 01:50 AM, said:

I cant get my head around it. Surely we brought in messi in a similar way...

I understand that the likes of cesc, mérida etc have been with us much longer, and wenger is basically making us do all the hard work while he just lures the kid with a contract, but will this still allow clubs to bring in 13 year olds etc ala messi? Someone please explain the ins and outs to me cuz im lost here..

Am glad somebody mentioned it!

[Cal-FCB]

Lemmiwinks, on Mar 30 2008, 11:21 AM, said:

we didnt poach messi, we were the only ones willing to pay the medical bills.

[EvertonFan]

He was still poached.

If it was just a charitable act, why not pay his fees and leave him at his club to;

"I left for another country at 25. You don't need to leave at 15. It's to do with protecting social values, family values. There is no justification for buying them at 15, getting them over with parents, that is just not on.