'Mind your own business'
2007-11-27 14:40
London - Europe's top football official, former Juventus midfield star Michel Platini, has been told by England's Premier League to "mind his own business."
The Frenchman, who took over as Uefa president earlier this year, had expressed the view that there were not enough English players or coaches involved at the top level in England.
"England is such a strong country that they have to take an Englishman," Platini said of the efforts to replace Steve McClaren as England coach.
"I like your football, I like the games, I like the fans and they passion, but I don't like the fact that it is too open in allowing in foreign players.
"In Arsenal now you don't have an English coach, English players, maybe not an English president soon."
Platini's criticism is just the latest of the domestic game in the wake of England's failure to qualify for Euro 2008.
'Beneficial'
However, Premier League spokesperson Dan Johnson said there was little wrong with the structure at elite level and told the three-time European Footballer of the Year to keep out of their affairs.
"He should really mind his own business. Uefa should look after the Champions League, Uefa Cup and the European Championships," he told Radio Five live.
"We run the Premier League and we run it successfully, which is beneficial to the English game and that is our business and not Platini's business."
"I think the foreign influence on the Premier League has pushed it to the very highest level.
"We attract the best in the world and when English players are coming up against the best week in, week out we think it is good for them.
"Do you want more average [English] players or more quality players? We want players who are able to compete with the best in the world."