LONDON, Nov. 7(Xinhuanet)-- Lennart Johansso, President of UEFA, has claimed that Europe's biggest clubs are weeding out the grass-roots football with their"greed".

The Swede, who is a vice-president of FIFA now in Malta for UEFA's executive committee meeting, said that"too many people involved in football, clubs and individuals, are too greedy."

The G14 group, Europe's elite clubs, want FIFA and UEFA to pay player salaries in World Cups and European Championships, and theyare backing Charleroi to be battling FIFA in court. The Belgian club argues that releasing players to national associations without payment is illegal.

If FIFA and UEFA have to rethink their policies then money madefrom major tournaments would have to be diverted away from the grass-roots game, Johansson said.

According to him, both"clubs and individuals" were to blame for the"greed" within football. He added:"It's a big problem that too many people see football as a business.

"Football is a sport and a social question and we have to be very careful to take care of it for the younger generation.

"Some of the big clubs try by going to court to make it'winnertakes all'.

"That means that the money for the associations and the grass-roots would go back into the pockets of the richest clubs.

"The Champions League gives the clubs the opportunity to make much more money than they did on an individual basis but still gives us the opportunity to take 30-40% to give back to the memberassociations." Enditem