Foreign players in English Football

The Football Association has unveiled detailed proposals to reduce the number of imported players coming into the English game from outside the European Union by up to 50%.

Under the plans, Football League clubs would be banned from signing non-EU players altogether and Premier League clubs would be prevented from sending them on loan. The FA chairman Greg Dyke hopes the changes will help prevent “mediocre” overseas players from blocking the progress of homegrown talent.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/sep/17/fa...

The Australian perspective:

From the Australian perspective, as a non-EU nation currently ranked outside the top 30 and with little prospect of returning soon, it is easy to see how these proposals could be disastrous.

Consider the Socceroos line-up against Saudi Arabia. Where would Bailey Wright be without Preston North End? Where would Massimo Luongo be without Swindon? Had he not been allowed to sign for League One side Bristol City, would Gus Hiddink have turned Luke Wilkshire into an 80-cap Socceroo?

http://www.theroar.com.au/2014/09/19/fa-tells-youn...

First of all, I doubt this would actually happen. Championship clubs wouldn't like it and it would be difficult having different rules for the Championship and Premier League. If it did happen though it would have a massive affect on young players coming out of New Zealand.

Stat from the latest Football Weekly pod is that there over 80 Spanish players registered in Champions League Squads. In comparison England have 17, the same number as Belarus.

a quota on foreign players that still allows European players won't exactly achieve anything though. 

"Foreign players in football"

however there's no getting past the fact that English players, in comparison to many major Euro nations, are a bit shit. 

It's not a problem that is fixed with one major FA ruling. It will just mean that some really rubbish English players will cost more than a small country until such time as sponsors get turned off and the EPL slides down the rankings. 

Thank you Peter Scudamore...

As part of the EU they can't block non-europeans as it's against EU law to prevent movement of labour.

it's interesting going through the leagues across Europe and seeing their rules around foreign players

France: Ligue 1 - Max of 4 Non-EU (BUT EU includes All Africa except Egypt & Lybia, All of Europe except Serbia, Montenegro & BiH, + Kyrgyzstan, + Uzbekistan, All Oceania (Except NZ) & All Cotonou Nations

Germany: Bundesliga - Min 8 Players trained in GER for 3yrs (15-21), Min 4 Players trained at Club for 3yrs (15-21)

Italy - Serie A - Max 2 non-EU players from abroad per season 

Portugal - Liga Sagres - Min 8 Players trained in POR for 3yrs, 

Spain - Liga BBVA - Max 3 Non EU (EU = EU + Cotonou + Turkey + Russia + Serbia)

doesn't the whole "...in the match day squad" thing get around that? They can still sign as many EU players as they like, so hardly blocks the movement of labour. They need better lawyers!

Stupid. 

"FA's Radical Pan to Reduce Foreign Stars

includes the following -

'Last month the FA received approval from the Home Office for "fundamental reform of the non - EU work visa processes which will come into effect for next season, including stiffening the entrance requirement from being an international for the top 70 to the top 50 in the Fifa rankings.

...

If you applied the new system retrospectively across the last 5 years 33% of the players who gained entry under the old system would not have been granted a work visa."

- UK Telegraph latest

So beware your Fifa ranking Oz (current ranking 65)