Smiling Sepp bathes in Congress sunshine

By Ossian Shine

SYDNEY (Reuters) - FIFA president Sepp Blatter walked away from world soccer's 58th annual Congress on Friday with a big smile plastered across his face.

"Love the game -- but love life more," the Swiss grinned after a day in which delegates gave him a mandate to pursue his controversial "6+5" rule.

"It was a sunny day this morning and inside the Congress today, we had sunshine."

Blatter's 6+5 rule would limit the number of foreign players a club team could field at the start of a match to five and is central to his plans to create a more level playing field for soccer clubs and nations, globally.

The overwhelming 155-5 vote was a large hurdle for Blatter to clear but he remains firmly on a collision course with European lawmakers who consider the 6+5 rule would contravene its free movement of workers rules.

"It was an overwhelming majority, overwhelming support," he smiled in a news conference.

"I am sure it will be done... I am very confident about it.

"They are saying it is illegal. For what, for whom and when? And if there is a law... you know a law can be amended or altered."