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BLATTER WANTS TO CAP NUMBER OF LEAGUE TEAMS

FIFA president Sepp Blatter wants to limit Europe's domestic leagues to a maximum of 16 teams.

In an interview with Germany's Bild newspaper, he said he would push for these reforms at next year's FIFA Congress.

"At our congress in 2007 we will discuss this, as the market and the players cannot cope with so much football," he said.

The Bundesliga currently has 18 teams, while the top leagues in Spain, England, Italy and France have 20.

Blatter believes most clubs are tired of playing so many games, and indicated that a ruling could be passed that forced the federations to comply with the reduction.

He has long wanted a reduction in the European fixture list, but in 2003 his demand to limit the size of European leagues was roundly rejected by the national associations.

He also hinted he would push for more restrictions on the number of foreign players in the top European leagues.

"We have to return to a point where, in the Bundesliga for example, there are at least six German players in each team. Six plus five is the formula for the future," he said.