Michel Platini Warns Against Foreign Ownership in the English Premier League Teams

by Jon Azpiri | October 8, 2008 at 02:50 pm

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Fresh on the heels of FIFA President Sepp Blatter's criticism of foreign ownership of soccer teams, UEFA President Michel Platini has launched a similar attack against foreign groups buying English soccer teams. The French footballing legend believes that English Premiership clubs could lose their identities if they continue to be sold off to overseas interests.

"Do you want in Liverpool an Arab sheikh as president with one Brazilian coach and nine or 11 African players?

"Where is Liverpool in that? We have to make some rules.

"What is football? Football is a game and this game has become popular because of the identity.

"You have to have identity, that is where football's popularity lies."