http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=reu-malaja_sports_feature&prov=reuters&type=lgns Check out the link to a very interesting article. Basically it states that any country with agreements to any other EU country has the right to play in Europe without player limits or other resistrictions. Does anyone know if we are one of approximately 100 countries with similar agreements with the EU? Bladder and FIFA are very concerned how this ruling will affect player development in Western Europe. Without limits on country of origin we may well see players from many other countries, including the USA (I hope). Your thoughts or comments would be most welcome.
1. clubs arent forced to buy foreigners, they decide first 2. most teams will never stop producing their own from their youth systems (imagine bilbao, or ajax without their own) 3. more cheap eastern euro players
"2. most teams will never stop producing their own from their youth systems (imagine bilbao, or ajax without their own)" Of course, they'll never stop producing players from their youth system. But how many players do you see rising from most clubs youth system? When's the last time that a club has done what Manchester United did in the early 90's (ie Becks, scholes, nevilles, butt- came through the United youth together). It doesn't happen. How many players does United now have from their youth system? Just the original crew. Yes, there's a few that might, but look what happened to Chadwick? He's been frozen out, partly due to his own play, but partly because United have bouth players. The fact is that there are fewer and fewer players developed through the youth systems that actually play in the premiership. Teams are continually looking overseas to bring people in. Freezing their youth players out, whom now can't develop as they should, and now the countries suffer. On a side not. I'm relatively new, how does everyone copy text from a past post and post it on their own, with the bold and the line seperating??
See the quote box located at the bottom of my post. Click on it and a reply window will open with my post in quotes. Yes, I agree it is simplistic to think that all teams are only looking to develop players for the elite side from their youth programs. If that were the case you would not see trades or transfers of players. Youth sides cannot develop the players alone. Transfers are a necessary part of the game based on the level of competition. Player development is a multifold process. I believe transfers will be accelerated once there are no limits to the number of foreign players that can play on a given team. Factors such as economic considerations, comparable players purchased at a lower cost, better players to make existing sides stronger, will all change the face of European football. With economic crisis facing many clubs, the promise of cheaper players and the return from transfering players may well accelerate the process. Leeds is a good example. They are on the brink of bankrupcy and have transfered the majority of their most expensive players in the past two weeks. Will teams forsake youth development? Highly unlikely, I doubt teams are so shortsided. It is always economically more viable to try to develop than to tranfer for talent. But, most players do not pan out and you have no choice but to transfer for the needed talent. Who will benefit? Certainly the richer clubs who will be able to purchase foreign stars with impunity. Who will suffer? Local players who will lose out to foreign competition and see reduced playing time and the clubs on the economic fringe.
I don't see this ruling going through. I think it will be voted down. Otherwise, you have the big four national teams(England, Germany, Italy and Spain) with players who have even less opportunities than before because of economics. I'll agree with the new poster who said that not many of the big teams bring prospects through their youth set-ups anymore. Big teams are essentially 'buying' teams because of all the cash they have. Smaller teams from smaller leagues still have to develop their own players.