Eh. Not just Africa. All the smaller leagues who have dedicated themselves to development would suffer without this rule. Really advanced players often become evident at 15. Big clubs would have no problem tossing big sums at the family to get them to move. It'd be quite easy to get even sums that would move the average 1st world family.
That's right about two years ago a highly considered 15 year old got taken away from an Academy by offering the parents a salary considerable higher than they had. These were common people at the lower end of the income table. So if offered twice their normal salary it would be peanuts for the club, it was either Manchester City or Chelsea, but big for those people. I cannot remember which player it was, as I consider them lost and never to be heard of as those EPL academies have yet to produce an Orange grade player. It is a little sad too, as they are blinded by the salary and the name of the clubs involved, but in fact take a huge chance in ruining their kids future. I call those EPL academies "the black hole for Dutch talents" for a reason. Only the academies of Southampton and West Ham and another one that slipped out of my mind are worthy in my eyes.
From this article (http://www.vn.nl/hoe-spelersmakelaars-jonge-topvoetballers-verleiden/ )I took this part: "(Duncan Smit) Maar zelf je keuzes leren maken, samen met je ouders – dat is pas goed voor je ontwikkeling. Jeffrey Bruma (15), centrale verdediger van Feyenoord B1, zei ja tegen de zesduizend euro per week van Chelsea. Natuurlijk greep hij die kans! Haalt hij het eerste niet, dan kan hij met deze ervaring bij elke Nederlandse profclub aan de bak.’ Smits Haagse collega Rodger Linse, zaakwaarnemer van onder meer Ruud van Nistelrooy, brengt jonge spelers juist ‘liever niet’ naar Engeland. ‘De Nederlandse jeugdopleiding is de beste ter wereld. In Engeland worden spelers fysiek en mentaal sterker, maar technisch en tactisch leren ze er niks bij. Ze geven daar niet echt om je, terwijl veel Nederlandse opleiders je als hun eigen kind beschouwen.’ Translation Duncan Smit says) "But learning to make your own choices, together with your parents - that really is good for your development. Jeffrey Bruma (15) central defender of Feyenoord B1, said yes to a 6000 euro a week from Chelsea. Of course hetook that chance! Doesnot he make the first team, then with that experience he can play at any Dutch pro club." Smit's colleague from The Hague Rodger Linse, agent of among others Ruud van Nistelrooij, as a matter of fact preferably doesnot like to take young players to England. The Dutch youth education is the best in the world. In England players become physically and mentally stronger, but tactically and technically they donot learn anything in addition. Over there they do not care at all about you, while many Dutch educators consider you as their own child." Bruma was taken as the best defensive talent, a Jaap Stam in the making, in the Netherlands. Mr Smit was right he would be able to get a place at a Dutch pro club. After failing in England and Germany he now is at PSV. And while watching him play you cannot believe how bad he is. His development towards a top player has come to a halt at 15 years. He only developed an attitude over there. I havenot got the time to translate in whole but perhaps google come to the rescue.
The Ledermans would really love to stay at Barcelona, and so would George Acosta at Estudiantes, but... http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/01/s...ules-sidelines-young-players-abroad.html?_r=0
On to Bradenton, it seems: Sam Borden @SamBorden 4h4 hours ago ... after publication today, I heard from the Ledermans again. ... Sam Borden @SamBorden 4h4 hours ago ..And it sounds like while they consider their legal options (inc. CAS), Ben is going to join a residency program in Florida so he can play.
In the story the Oriol Sala guy who was charging 25,000 Euros for a kid to play in his "residency" program is a great example to why FIFA article 19 was completely necessary.
That rule was created to prevent children from being exploited, vulnerable kids, and if they werenot good enough being tossed away as litter. You hardly can call kids from parents capable paying so much, vulnerable in that sense. I donot get why on earth you would pay that kind of money anyway, because they are located in Barcelona? And then you still have the cost of living like health insurance, school fees etc. It's even more ridiculous, given the fact that you can enter a Dutch academy and only pay the living costs. Just count the number of players at the WC 2014 that came through all Dutch academies and put that against the number from that Oriol academy.
IMG Academy @IMGAcademy As the 1st American-born player invited to train in FC Barcelona's youth system, Ben Lederman enrolls at IMG Academy http://imgacade.my/1Ovnk0l By the way, IMG Academy isn't necessarily the U17 national team...............................
Kinda surprised he just didn't go back to SoCal and train with LA Galaxy and B.Kleiban and M. Munoz. Kleiban is his old coach and coaching their U14s and I think B.Lederman is 14.
It can be confusing, but Lederman (born in 2000) is on the roster for the 15/16 IMG Academy team. http://imga.ussoccerda.com/sam/teams/index.php?team=1400542 BTW, the 17 YNT boys only use the facilities at IMG. They do not attend the school--they go to St. Stephen's Episcopal School nearby. So if someone is enrolled at IMG they're really at IMG.
Its kind of a weird one. Perhaps he'll be with IMG for a while until he enrolls full-time as part of the U17 residency program in the near future. U17 residency is a weird group right now. Doesn't it seem like a large number of kids on the U17 national team aren't at Bradenton? Zendejas, Pulisic, Gallardo, Barbir, Wright, and on and on are with club teams on a day-to-day basis. So what's going on at Bradenton? How many players are actually training there and going to school there?
Patience Ben! Climb the ladder. What is the next step? Tab Ramos? It seems like he is going down the ladder.
La Masia to Williams to Ramos to Klinsmann. I guess Jürgen was on point when he said the pyramid is upside down in this country.
Ben Lederman's family to take legal action against FIFA http://www.sport-english.com/en/new...family-take-legal-action-against-fifa-4526623 The father of Ben Lederman, one of the youth players in Barcelona's academy who is currently unable to play, confirmed they will take FIFA to court, together with the parents of other affected players from both Barcelona and other European clubs.
A blanket rule that covers everyone with no exceptions often throws the baby out with the bath water. Ben Lederman and his family did not fit the reason of why the rule was instituted. His well being as a child was well taken care of with his supportive family living with him. Is there a way to have the rule for the vast majority of cases but make exceptions for the reason why the spirit of the rule exists.
No way in hell that FIFA would want to review that many cases, that's why it will be such black and white.
Perhaps, but if you read some of the earlier interviews with the Ledermans, the move without a work permit really put the family at economic risk. If an educated, worldly family with resources has that issue, it shows there aren't many families that would qualify.
When he was at Barca I wished him well but, I do not think it is a model that should be followed. And a precedent would be set that the rule does not apply to rich kids.
There's no way for FIFA to legislate the avalanche of cases that would appear if they got rid of the rule. We all understand why the rule exists. Its to prevent a club (lets a seedy Ukrainian one) from exploiting groups of young African kids. We also understand why the Lederman's are pissed about it existing. Barca's a rich club trying to hoover up the best talent. They don't care one iota about the health of the game worldwide. The Lederman's have money (from a "world" perspective) and feel their child should be allowed to play for a club of their choosing. Both sides make compelling arguments, but I actually side with FIFA on this one. This is a case of a privileged club and a privileged family (from a world perspective) unhappy about not having things their way, even though they knew they were breaking the rules. I fear what the Euro clubs would do if we got rid of this rule. How many 12 year old Brazilians, Argentines, Africans, etc. would they bring over? They wouldn't be bringing over hordes of Americans................................. FIFA as a whole is going to defend this rule tooth and nail, and that's because the overwhelming number of FIFA members don't want their domestic youth pools plundered. A nation/league like Argentina depends on the conveyor belt of talent coming up from the youth ranks every year to replace the adult players sold to Europe. What happens if the conveyor belt stops? Disaster. Well...........its already a financial disaster as it is. The second any Argentine 18-20 year old looks like he has any talent whatsoever, the European vultures start circling. If it was up to me...........the rule stays. We don't needs 10-12 year olds moving en masse from around the world to Europe. The "talent drain" of 18-20 year olds is bad enough.