[Football] The Brexit effect on EU players

I don't want to get into a debate into the rights and wrongs of the Brexit decision as this has been done to death on other threads.

But, upon leaving (with or without a deal) will this affect Premier League clubs and all clubs I suppose in signing EU nationals after Brexit?

I know there is this muted £30k level of salary that they are looking at so obviously this won't be an issue for the average Premier League player who in all likelihood earns this in a week not a year. There is though strict criteria from players coming in from outside of the EU (having played so much for their national sides etc) but will the rules on signing EU players after Brexit either be bent to suit the rich elite, or will we simply not be able to sign players who might not be considered vital to the UK economy and thus not get work permits? I suspect allowances will have to be made for people like nurses who we rely so heavily on from abroad but what about footballers?

Could any limit or new restriction be good for our home grown players for example?

Found a quote from the BBC website :
"After Brexit, the regulations that currently apply to those outside the EEA could apply to all players - such criteria would have seen the likes of N'Golo Kante and Riyad Mahrez, who won the Premier League with Leicester City in 2015-16, prevented from playing in England."

Another from Goal :
"After Brexit, it is possible that footballers from EU countries - Germany, France or Spain, say - who are wanted by the likes of Manchester United or Arsenal may be treated in the same way as non-EU or (European Economic Area (EEA) footballers currently are.

That means they will have to satisfy certain criteria or receive an exemption in order obtain a work permit, which would then allow them to work in the UK as employees of a football club.

Back in 2016, the BBC established that 332 players in the Premier League, Championship and Scottish Premiership would not satisfy these requirements.

Of course, footballers are not the only individuals who would fall under this umbrella. The past two decades have witnessed an influx of coaches from Europe into the Premier League and currently, of the 20 clubs, 14 currently have a non-British coach at the helm.

As well as coaches and players, the football industry has long utilised the labour and expertise of EU workers at all levels. These individuals will also be faced with the same restrictions."


Or will such circumstances only help the very top clubs who might be able to get around any restrictions as the top level players they seek are more likely to have figured for their national teams more often (as it is currently for players signed from outside of the EU)?

If a Hard Bexit was to occur then we may have to start focusing far more on our UK based U23 players for our future. Would this be such a bad thing?

Interested to hear your views.

I'm not discussing unless you rule out a Hard Brexit occurring.

As far as I understand it, without Freedom of Movement, any European would have to apply for a work permit in the same way, a non European would.

Steve Parish has got this one covered. He wants GBEs issued to any foreign player in a Premier League squad of 25 and because clubs wouldn't be able to sign 16/17 year old EEA nationals to their academies, he says English players will get their chance as academies will be full of them after Brexit.

look to how easy/difficult it is to obtain work permits for non-EU players currently. thats the worse case scenario.

Surely all interested parties would agree to new rules which keep things basically as they are.

The only difference is that they would go from being obligatory to being voluntarily agreed upon.

Since nobody would want any of this to change, they can simply move to the same position by way of agreement.

Incidentally the same goes for pretty much everything which actually works well and is relatively uncontroversial. It just changes from obligatory to voluntary.

Everything else, things with which a country takes issue, that country will no longer be forced to go along with against their will.

beorhthelm said:

look to how easy/difficult it is to obtain work permits for non-EU players currently. thats the worse case scenario.

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It is fairly easy, but generally only if they have EU passports or they're established players for top level teams. Which is why we've had to loan out Tau and Arce.

So we'd be able to sign top players from the likes of France, Spain etc but would struggle with anyone else- I can see this hugely benefiting the "top 6" who can afford this calibre of player

However, as pointed out before, it would see an end to the likes of the top sides filling their academies with European players.

It is also worth asking - how does this affect the likes of Hudson-Odoi and other members of the successful age group players emulating Jadon Sancho and playing in the EU?

Billy in Bristol said:

It is also worth asking - how does this affect the likes of Hudson-Odoi and other members of the successful age group players emulating Jadon Sancho and playing in the EU?

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I think it would depend on the immigration policy of whatever country they're going to but it won't be as easy for them

dingodan said:

Surely all interested parties would agree to new rules which keep things basically as they are.

The only difference is that they would go from being obligatory to being voluntarily agreed upon.

Since nobody would want any of this to change, they can simply move to the same position by way of agreement.

Incidentally the same goes for pretty much everything which actually works well and is relatively uncontroversial. It just changes from obligatory to voluntary.

Everything else, things with which a country takes issue, that country will no longer be forced to go along with against their will.

Click to expand...

Therefore in your voluntary world, if the PL want to keep things as they are, and therefore permit the signing of 16/17 year old EU players to their youth set up they will be able to do this

The top players - Pogba, Hazard, Hemed - will all be fine because they're regular internationals. No idea what would happen to the like of an Inigo Calderon, probably not accepted under the strictest rules but presumably there will be some kind of freedom of movement deal thrashed out which will make it fine.

Those players from outside EU who get a qualification boost by playing in Europe, may be less likely to get a permit.

I also read that it might mean the end of the Kolpak deal, which affects cricket more