da spicy bet： The United Kingdom is set to leave the European Union after the majority voted for ‘Brexit’ to become a reality last week. This latest development is set to throw UK into an uncertain sporting future, as well as rocky ground in many other aspects of day-to-day life.
da pinnacle： Players who have benefited from the EU’s flexible system are Manchester United (Anthony Martial), Arsenal (Hector Bellerin) and Leicester City (N’Golo Kante). When’Brexit’ finally comes into reality fully, the English Premier league may soon find it difficult to attract top European players due to the fact that transfer fees and wages may rise. Also clubs will find players more expensive because the pounds may reduce in value.
Currently players with European Union passport are free to play in the United Kingdom, while those without one have to go through strict scrutiny and process before being granted the right to be employed in the country. Last season the Premier League had a total of over 400 European players spread across different clubs. With Brexit now a reality the axe may fall on new players, as they may not enjoy the luxury of living and working in the United Kingdom, as their predecessors have.
European players will have to go through the same immigration process that non-European players go through, which involves playing at least 30% of ‘Grade A’ matches for their national teams in at least the two years prior to the application for a permit.
Players like Dimitri Payet of West Ham and France, Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry were able to sign for Manchester United and Arsenal respectively because they enjoyed the luxury of being European players.
On the other hand, this may be a welcome development for British football as it will encourage home grown talent. Young British players are connected to their boyhood clubs at a young age and, usually, sign on properly at 16.
However, they often find it difficult to break into the first-team thanks to the arrivals of expensive signings. Statics shows that if ‘Brexit’ had come to reality last season, clubs like Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Watford would have lost a whooping 11 players from their squads apiece. Meanwhile even Charlton Athletic would have said a painful goodbye to 13.
Last year, it was found that 332 European players currently plying their trade in the Premier League, Championship and Scottish Premiership would not pass the non-EU criteria when ‘Brexit’ comes becomes a reality. Also if the rules are applied to all foreign players, many European Union players in the Premier League will not qualify to play in the United Kingdom.
Some of the players that may be affected are Samir Nasri, Jesus Navas, Eliaquim Mangala, Anthony Martial, Morgan Schneiderlin, Juan Mata, David de Gea, Hector Bellerin, Kurt Zouma, Francis Coquelin and N’Golo Kante. What this means is that Premier league clubs will not enjoy the luxury and privilege of having access to impressive continental talents.
This is a potential situation that will not be profitable to the English Premier League, meaning the glorious days of scouts picking an unknown talent from Austria, Sweden or France, who can shuttle freely between European nations and sign for clubs easily, could be under threat.
West Ham United Chairman Karren Brady predicted the adverse future effect of ‘Brexit’ and sounded a note of warning, saying: “cutting ourselves from Europe would have devastating consequences.”
Coaches are not left out, as managers such as Ronald Koeman, Jose Mourinho and other European coaches have been able to work and live freely in the United Kingdom because they are part of the European Union (Mourinho is from Portugal and Koeman from the Netherlands).
But when ‘Brexit’ finally comes to place, negotiations by clubs for new coaches will take a dramatic turn and could have an adverse impact.
La Liga
The Spanish League allows the registration of only three non-European players in each squad. Currently Real Madrid have their quota in Danilo, Casemiro and James Rodriguez. But now with ‘Brexit’, Welshman Gareth Bale will become a non-European Union player, meaning Real Madrid may have to sell one of the players or ask for exemption from the Spanish football authorities.
Also many Spanish players had in the past used the Premier League to catch the attention of the world after failing to command a place in their respective teams. One such player was Cesc Fabregas who joined Arsenal from Barcelona’s academy in 2003 at just 16. ‘Brexit’ will have a huge impact on the future trade between Spanish and British clubs.
Serie A
The Italian league is not spared from the effect of Brexit. Currently Serie A allows clubs to sign two to three non-European Players. The effect of ‘Brexit’ means that British player will find it difficult to move to the country. Also the English Premier League enjoys the influx of Italian players who play for various clubs. With some of them going on to be legends at their various teams (like Gianfranco Zola of Chelsea).
Bundesliga
Presently the German Bundesliga doesn’t have any restriction on the signing of non-European Union players. But we all know that BuLi and the Premier League do a lot of trade every year. In fact last season, Premier league clubs spent £160m on some of the German top tier’s brightest talent. An act that was crowned with Manchester City spending €70m on Belgian star Kevin De Bruyne from Wolfsburg. ‘Brexit’ could stop the free flow of cash into German football.
In conclusion ‘Brexit’ will stop the free movement of talented European players to English football and vice versa.
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