(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-02-15 09:54

LONDON - FIFA president Sepp Blatter says he won't let the English Premier League play games abroad and believes the proposal will harm England's bid for the 2018 World Cup.

The Premier League announced last week its clubs supported a plan to stage a 39th round of games in five countries starting in the 2010-11 season.

But the idea has led to widespread opposition from fans groups and gained little support around the world, especially in those countries expected to host the games. The head of the Asian Confederation opposed it and US soccer federation president Sunil Gulati said he would not accept it without FIFA's permission.

Now Blatter has voiced his concern.

"This will never happen. At least this will not happen as long as I am the president of FIFA," Blatter, who remains president until 2011, told the BBC on Thursday.

"Those that are richer than the others, they have more responsibility and what the Premier League is trying to do is contrary to this responsibility."

Blatter said that the Premier League's proposal was simply to make more money and he believed that the FIFA executive committee would oppose it.

"This does not take into consideration the fans of the clubs and it gives the impression that they just want to go on tour to make some money," he said. "This is something I cannot understand and definitely the FIFA executive committee will not sanction such an initiative."

Blatter's strongly worded opposition to the proposal could force the Premier League into a rethink especially if he believes that the idea would get so much criticism that it could endanger England's planned bid to host the 2018 World Cup.