Fergie fumes at 'big-mouthed Premier League chiefs' for leaking overseas match plans

Sir Alex Ferguson today slammed the Premier League for their handling of the overseas matches plan as it emerged that FIFA are furious about the idea.

The Manchester United manager is astonished that League chief executive Richard Scudamore announced the 10-game scheme without consultation with managers or players.

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Ferguson said: "What disappoints me is that [United chief executive] David Gill phoned me yesterday and said, 'Keep this quiet, we are going to discuss it'.

"Then it is all over the papers this morning, they can't keep their mouths shut down there.

"If they are going to do these things they should have inquired about taking a discussion with managers and players before coming out with all this stuff and making an issue out of it.

"It should have been discussed internally by the clubs before coming to the position we are in today."

But the 66-year-old did admit he does not expect to still be in management when the foreign games are scheduled for 2011.

He said: "I'll not be here by that time, I hope. I don't fancy a flight to Bombay or Sumatra or wherever."

But Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger said today: "My instinct is not to be against innovation. Ninety per cent of fans have no access to the game and it is fair to do something for those people around the world."

The plan has also been attacked in FIFA circles for breaking the long-established principle of staging domestic matches within national borders. It will be reviewed at the next FIFA executive meeting.

FIFA, football's world governing body, could sink the plan because they have the right to veto games played by any league outside domestic borders.

The fall-out from any row between the two bodies could be hugely damaging for English football as the support of FIFA executives is required for the Football Association's 2018 World Cup bid.

A FIFA source said: "Senior figures are furious. It appears to be a case of a national league who are making themselves international to make money."

President Sepp Blatter added: "FIFA has been made aware through media reports of these plans.

"We will expect official documents from the Premier League to be sent to us and the matter will be brought to the attention of the executive at our next meeting, who will then look at the matter."

FIFA usually only give their blessing for domestic matches to take places in extreme circumstances such as when civil arrest endangers safety.

The London Evening Standard understands there was no contact between the Premier League and FIFA prior to yesterday's announcement, which came as a surprise to president Sepp Blatter.

Premier League chairmen, however, are bullish about going ahead with the £100 million plan and are ready for a legal battle against any move to block it.