Child slavery in the premiership: Cruyff speaks his mind

[johan neeskens]

http://www.cruijff.com/mijnmening/article64005691.ece

In Cruyff's weekly column for Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf he says he hopes UEFA and FIFA will come to an agreement on a new rule forcing clubs to have at least six players from their own country in their starting XI. He notes Scotland and Belgium as examples of how things can go wrong with your national team if the foreign element gets too strong in your domestic league, and predicts the English national team will also suffer from the consequences if new rules aren't enforced.

Cruyff also speaks up against the trend at top premiership sides to snap up continental youngsters at an ever younger age (15 year olds getting contracts is no longer an exception and even contracts with twelve year olds are not unheard of), he wants 18 to be the minimum age. He accuses the premiership of child slavery, in fact, and adds that premiership clubs are recruiting kids on the continent to make up for the weaknesses of their own youth development programmes.

He concludes that things in the premiership are getting out of hand, and that the cup final was a good example of how the situation is not benefitting English football at all. "Chelsea had the most quality on paper and won in the end but the football was abysmal, there was nothing English about it. I wonder how much longer the fans will put up with this."

[leg_breaker]

Cruyff should shut up, everytime he opens his mouth he looks like an idiot. Not letting under 18s have contracts just means they'll be poached by richer teams. Ironically this will hit his Dutch teams the hardest as they will no longer get any transfer fees.

Forcing six domestic players on each starting team will just jack up the prices of domestic players, and without the option to hire cheap foreign players instead, the richest teams will just get even more powerful.

[johan neeskens]

Forcing six domestic players on each starting team will just jack up the prices of domestic players, and without the option to hire cheap foreign players instead, the richest teams will just get even more powerful.

Maybe in the short term, but in the long term it will force clubs to focus more on their own youth development programme and on improving the players they've got as investing in improving a home-grown youngster will always be cheaper than getting one in from the continent.

What hits the Dutch the hardest is that they're losing youngsters to foreign leagues without being able to do anyting about it as they themselves are not allowed to offer professional contracts to under 18s. Outside of the top three there's not a single Dutch club that would object to foreign player restrictions. When we still had foreign player restrictions in Europe, Dutch clubs fared much better, after all. So why are you surprised at Cruyff's comments? He speaks for the benefit of Dutch football first and foremost, after all.

[sinner78]

Cruyffy should sort out the dutch league.
lol ,PSV fielded 10 foreigners in the starting 11 when they played arsenal.


http://football.guardian.co.uk/Match_Report/0,,2028887,00.html

[johan neeskens]

Cruyffy should sort out the dutch league.
lol ,PSV fielded 10 foreigners in the starting 11 when they played arsenal.


http://football.guardian.co.uk/Match_Report/0,,2028887,00.html

Like I said, outside the top three the Dutch clubs won't mind but for the top three it's a different story. Anyway rather than talking about the Dutch league, perhaps you could share your views on these rules Cruyff suggests and its implications for the premiership.

[spoonman]

Cruyffy should sort out the dutch league.
lol ,PSV fielded 10 foreigners in the starting 11 when they played arsenal.


http://football.guardian.co.uk/Match_Report/0,,2028887,00.html

Arsenal fielded 11 foreigners out of 11

[sendorange]

There were quite a few English players in the FA Cup final. It wasn't a good game, but then that is sometimes the case in football, especially when it's two evenly matched teams who don't want to lose.

It is not as if ManYoo played like that all season - where were Cruyff's comments after the 7-1 win over Roma? And it is not as if Chelsea are representative of the playing style of most of the Premiership either. Besides, funnily enough some people find a variety of styles and formations more interesting to watch than the same old 4-3-3.

Also aren't Scotland very well placed in their qualifying group at this moment in time? I would argue the influx of foreigners forced them to do a better job developing their young players as well as making those young players work harder to improve rather than just assume they will get a guaranteed spot at a top club.

Only difference between Netherlands and these countries is that the Dutch did a good job of pressurising their immigrant youngsters into playing for Holland rather than their native countries. How many players have Surinam missed out on to the Dutch?

[United Pumps]

Altavista babelfish:

Kinderhandel in top football
http://babelfish.altavista.com/images/transparent.gif21 May 2007 http://babelfish.altavista.com/images/transparent.gifI became these yielded agreeably surprise by the judgements of FIFApresident Sepp Blatter, which he and are Uefa-collega Michel Platini serious work will make of the rule to essay at least six basis players from own country in each elftal. To force more pour out attention to the youth training the clubs this way and protection of the national elftal. In the short term I hope about this with Michel Platini, talk because he is the man that the European Parliament of the usefulness of this special sport rule must persuade.
http://babelfish.altavista.com/images/transparent.gifMeanwhile I hope that, before Platini and the politicians end up there yes or no the Netherlands takes in advance the voortouw. Will sit with 38 representatives of all clubs simply with each other around the table and agree mutually that you with z’n all you which 6 + 5-regel contracts keep. Then the rest comes automatically. And is that the case runs, then we first. Moreover I by the years have learned, which if you keep the public interest for eyes, its own importance is automatically filled in.
Only take the finances. By essay always six Dutch the obligation, every club is forced tighten up training. As a result, the supply of brio direction the Dutch elftal remains automatic at a good level. Furthermore the much money makes a difference, because is there less bought.
shot country, Belgium and now also United Kingdom is the proof which enormous risk’s you run if you do not do this. Both it does not count the Scottish and Belgian national team for years international. If it is against just as then misses also United Kingdom soon the EK. A straight failure for a country, which had this year three clubs in the half finals of the Champions League sit.
There also still comes at, that most of English the clubs have no youth training, as a result of which the problem becomes soon continuously larger. Moreover as a result, a situation which irritates me more and more, has arisen. Because of it every year thousands of boys are obtained under eighteen by the European clubs from their trusted surroundings. All transfers to compensate being lacking youth training and to that prevent the competition goes there with a brio vandoor. Contracts with twaalfjarigen are even concluded!
This has do therefore less and less with football and more and more with kinderhandel. Horribly! I hope that from the uefa and fifa measures are rapidly taken against this situation. As a matter of fact, it bad matter also no would be if the politicians in Brussels would look at a time to.
To United Kingdom, where the affair from the hand for shrieking is. That proof was still provided Saturday during the cup Final. Chelsea won in lengthening, have on paper by far most of the quality, but play total on-Engels. Sorry hear, but I find it not to look. For this reason I have been aroused curiosity how long the supporters peck this still.

[PsychedelicCeltic]

How many players have Surinam missed out on to the Dutch?
So you're saying black people aren't Dutch.

[United Pumps]

So you're saying black people aren't Dutch.
He's saying the Surinamese aren't Dutch.

[Schapes]

http://www.cruijff.com/mijnmening/article64005691.ece

In Cruyff's weekly column for Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf he says he hopes UEFA and FIFA will come to an agreement on a new rule forcing clubs to have at least six players from their own country in their starting XI. He notes Scotland and Belgium as examples of how things can go wrong with your national team if the foreign element gets too strong in your domestic league, and predicts the English national team will also suffer from the consequences if new rules aren't enforced.

Cruyff also speaks up against the trend at top premiership sides to snap up continental youngsters at an ever younger age (15 year olds getting contracts is no longer an exception and even contracts with twelve year olds are not unheard of), he wants 18 to be the minimum age. He accuses the premiership of child slavery, in fact, and adds that premiership clubs are recruiting kids on the continent to make up for the weaknesses of their own youth development programmes.

He concludes that things in the premiership are getting out of hand, and that the cup final was a good example of how the situation is not benefitting English football at all. "Chelsea had the most quality on paper and won in the end but the football was abysmal, there was nothing English about it. I wonder how much longer the fans will put up with this."


I wonder what he thinks about the developmental players in MLS making $13,300.00

[mshankb]

"Cruyff speaks his mind"... words to make any football fan shudder. Shouldn't this senile old fool be in a home by now?

Foreigners have been 'ruining' the English game for 15 years now, if you believe what you read, yet on pure individual talent, the England squad is excellent - it's management that has let us down.

[yasik19]

Cruyff was a great footballer. Let's leave it at that.

[Pigs]

In Cruyff's weekly column for Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf he says he hopes UEFA and FIFA will come to an agreement on a new rule forcing clubs to have at least six players from their own country in their starting XI


"Chelsea had the most quality on paper and won in the end but the football was abysmal, there was nothing English about it. I wonder how much longer the fans will put up with this."

players who played in the final

Chelsea
Terry, Bridge, Lampard, Wright-Phillips, Joe Cole, and Ashley Cole (That's six domestic players)

and

Man Utd:
Ferdinand, Fletcher, Smith, Scholes, Carrick, O'Shea, Rooney, Giggs (That's eight domestic players).

[Spartak]

players who played in the final

Chelsea
Terry, Bridge, Lampard, Wright-Phillips, Joe Cole, and Ashley Cole (That's six domestic players)

and

Man Utd:
Ferdinand, Fletcher, Smith, Scholes, Carrick, O'Shea, Rooney, Giggs (That's eight domestic players).
Hmm...

[Pigs]

Hmm...

hmm. what?

they're still domestic players.


As for Fletcher and Giggs, they aren't foreigners. Their passport is the same as Ferdinand, Smith, Scholes etc.


It would be a bit ridiculous if their were a limit on certain British players playing in the Premiership.

[Spartak]

hmm. what?

they're still domestic players.


As for Fletcher and Giggs, they aren't foreigners. Their passport is the same as Ferdinand, Smith, Scholes etc.


It would be a bit ridiculous if their were a limit on certain British players playing in the Premiership.
They might be "domestic" players(although O'Shea is clearly not) but developing a Scot or Welshmen does not help the English national team.

[Teso Dos Bichos]

He notes Scotland and Belgium as examples of how things can go wrong with your national team if the foreign element gets too strong in your domestic league, and predicts the English national team will also suffer from the consequences if new rules aren't enforced.

Cruyff also speaks up against the trend at top premiership sides to snap up continental youngsters at an ever younger age (15 year olds getting contracts is no longer an exception and even contracts with twelve year olds are not unheard of), he wants 18 to be the minimum age. He accuses the premiership of child slavery, in fact, and adds that premiership clubs are recruiting kids on the continent to make up for the weaknesses of their own youth development programmes.

Scotland are joint top of one of the hardest qualifying groups and currently 14th in the FIFA rankings. Cruyff's beloved Barca are also one of the clubs most guilty of 'child slavery'. NEXT!

It is not as if ManYoo played like that all season - where were Cruyff's comments after the 7-1 win over Roma?

He said something in regard to total football.

It would be a bit ridiculous if their were a limit on certain British players playing in the Premiership.

Indeed. No doubt the lawyers will get involved as the UK is a special case in football terms. Although the EU was looking to make football a special case to avoid the legal issues most of these ideas bring about.

[United Pumps]

Throw in Hargreaves and Foster next year and you have yourselves a deal. Also, Sidwell for Chelsea.

United and Chelsea could easily get through with that rule in place. Arsenal and Liverpool would have trouble. Especially Arsenal.

[Pigs]

They might be "domestic" players(although O'Shea is clearly not) but developing a Scot or Welshmen does not help the English national team.

Like I say, there shouldn't be any restrictions on British players playing in the Premiership.

Welsh and Scottish national teams need help anyway. :D (And what about the case of Giggs, grew up in England, has an English accent, captained England schoolboys) yet considered a foreigner? He' actually has a manc accent, which is more than you can say about Ferdinand, Carrick, Smith, and Rooney.

But having said that, both Chelsea and Man United had six english players playing in the FA Cup final.