Blatter to outlaw Eriksson's substitution 'farce'

Fifa president proposes new regulations to prevent mass team changes in friendlies while Liechtenstein security fears are allayed

The Fifa president, Sepp Blatter, has accused Sven Goran Eriksson of turning international football into a "farce" with his controversial policy of mass substitutions. The head of the sport's world governing body also attacked the Football Association and says that its actions have led to concern over what he calls the "motherland" of the game.

The England coach's tactic – which critics say is simply to appease Premiership managers – will now lead to a change in the regulations governing friendly matches, Fifa confirmed last night. The International Football Association Board has cleared plans to classify such games as "competitive" so that they have a compulsory limit of five substitutions.

Blatter was angered by Eriksson's selection in England's 3-1 defeat against Australia, when a different XI took the field in the second half. "It's wrong. It's better if you don't play," Blatter said. "It was a farce. It's not correct for the opponent, but definitely not correct for the public. You invite the public. They pay for a match between England, the best team, and Australia. In the second half, you have another team. It's not correct.

"If he [Eriksson] is not able to impose that he will play with the best players during the 90 minutes – or let's say he makes some substitutes but not as many as he did, then he should not play the match.'

Blatter, speaking on a BBC documentary, reprimanded the FA for condoning Eriksson's approach to the game. "Don't forget that in football England is still the quality of everything when you speak about football," he said. "It's the 'FA'... It is England. People are asking what is happening with the motherland of football."

"The FA should not organise such a match, and we will intervene. It will not be possible in future to play a friendly with 45 minutes with one team and 45 minutes with another team.'

Eriksson, responding to the criticisms yesterday, said that he was simply trying to protect the players, and not the clubs. "We play too much football. Someone has to think about the players. I did it, if people don't like it I still think I did the right thing by the players," he said. Eriksson, has, of course, already surrendered three friendly dates a year and floated the idea of compressing international matches to the end of the season.

He defended his substitution policy, saying: "I think the crowd at West Ham liked the second half better than the first half. We need friendlies. For me if I can have all the players for 45 minutes that is perfect.

"Of course I listen and if people say to me 'you can't do that because of money reasons, because of sponsors, because of fans' then I have to obey and say 'OK' but I think it is the right thing to do. Since I have been here all football people agree there are too many games but nothing has been done."

One football person who did not agree yesterday was the former England coach Glenn Hoddle, now in charge of Tottenham Hotspur. He said: "I am not disputing the fact that there are a lot of games. But there are plenty of other countries who play just as many as we do and if you have got a love for the game then I think you can cope – it is all about frame of mind."