Silly me, I thought footballers who intentionally went out to maim other players would have been subject to the full extent of FIFA's sanctions already but seemingly not. Sepp Blatter has spotted the rising trend in dangerous tackles in the professional game and is now moving to see players found guilty of deliberately injuring an opponent removed permanently from playing the game at any level. Their managers aren't safe either if they have incited their players into going into dangerous challenges.

What a can of worms this is going to open if Blatter ever moves beyond the meaningless soundbite stage and actually tries to implement it and I honestly don't see the FIFA president's words making the slightest bit of difference to those players most in need of some extra punishment for their "overzealous" tackling.

Would Blatter have banned Birmingham City's Martin Taylor for his clumsy, late challenge on Arsenal's Eduardo that broke the Croatian's leg? There was clearly no malice in the challenge regardless of what the miraculously sight restored Arsene Wenger said in his post-match interview but there will be some who would move to make an example of the big defender and say that a late challenge is just as dangerous as sliding in two footed from behind so where would FIFA draw the line?

I, for one, am not holding my breath on seeing this latest proposition from Blatter make it onto the FIFA statute books but at least he got himself back into the headlines which must be the sole aim of any politician, regardless of the industry they work in.