12 Mar 2008McLeish: Blatter has an 'agenda' against English football

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish has reacted angrily to news that Fifa president Sepp Blatter is to investigate Martin Taylor's tackle on Eduardo.

According to Blatter, Fifa could act to extend Taylor's three game suspension if they feel the punishment imposed by the FA is not sufficient.

However, McLeish believes Blatter is not in the position to make such a judgement.

"Could there be a further suspension? Sepp Blatter could go to court with that one and he would fail 100 per cent. Fifa have no jurisdiction over this," he commented.

"People keep making statements about this tackle and Blatter has opened it up again. It is disappointing but no-one can take Sepp to task. He is the top man.

"He is in a job just now where if he were to look at every tackle every week in every European game, he would be out of a job because he would have to ban everyone."

McLeish even went as far as suggesting that it was not Blatter's place to bring the issue up in the first place - and suggested he might have some sort of ulterior motive for doing so.

"Why is he (Blatter) talking about it?" he asked.

"For me, there could be a hidden agenda here and he is having a go at the English game for being too robust."

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