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The Brexit that has entered into force in Great Britain has its extension to all political, social and economic levels and sports, football more specifically, could not be left out of the equation. The British Government did not want to interfere directly in the matter and left the matter in the hands of the three interested parties: the English Federation (FA), the Premier League and the English Football League (EFL), which represents the rest of the professional clubs (Championship , League One and League Two).
Being international and playing European competitions, the key to signing for a Premier club
Senn ferrero
It was not easy to reach the complex agreement that came into force on January 1 and that has already been applied in the poor transfer market that has just ended (85.6 million euros in transfers in the Premier). The interests were at odds. The Premier, contrary to Brexit, did not want to lose an iota of the sporting and economic leadership already acquired and the FA did not want to miss the opportunity to impose regulations that would directly favor the interests of its National Team by restricting the arrival of foreign footballers and promoting the national product as much as possible. In a boxing match, you could say that the referee raised the Premier's arm, but it was a points victory.
“They are looking for an even bigger Premier. They do what Liverpool, United and Arsenal want”
Jesus Garcia Pitarch
Until 12/31/2020, only foreign players not belonging to the European Union (EU) were obliged to meet certain requirements to be signed by British clubs. and those from the EU could sign freely without obtaining a work permit in the UK. As of last January, all non-British footballers (including those from the EU) must obtain this visa or work permit. To do this, they must comply with a point system established by the Brexit Rules, which limit incorporations.
“They have killed the Nordic countries and the second divisions and open the doors of Argentina and Brazil”
Victor Orta
Everything is reflected in a series of tables, up to six, that regulate the conditions that candidates have to overcome in order to reach the 15 points required to obtain a work permit. directly. Players who add between 10 and 14 must undergo a personalized review of each situation by the so-called Exceptions Committee, expressly appointed by the FA to study these cases.
When these new regulations were approved, the possibility of tightening the score for future market windows was left open. Y There is already talk that it could go up to 18 or 19 points to make the requirements even more expensive. In that case elite clubs will benefit the most from having more financial resources and have access to the best players.
The most important selection. In the scoring system, they reach a fundamental value the international participations of the player, which was already a requirement that was taken into account before Brexit with non-EU players. The ranking is considered in the UEFA classification of the relevant country and the percentage of matches played with their national teams. Then, the players who do not reach 15 points, have other valuation channels to add points.
First of all, the number of domestic championship matches quantified in minutes. It is divided by categories. In band 1, The Premier, Bundesliga, LaLiga, Serie A and Ligue 1 are included. Then, the number of matches with their home club in the continental championship is considered, always by minutes of play; the cclassification in the domestic and continental championships and, finally, the league classification in the UEFA ranking.
They are also set Limitations on the number of signings under 21 years: three in the winter window of the 2020/2021 season and six per season, from the summer transfer window of the 2021/2022 season (included).
Senn Ferrero. The Spanish firm specialized in comprehensive advice in the sports and entertainment industry has carried out exhaustive work on the impact of Brexit on international transfers of foreign footballers. His lawyers Patricia Galán and Guillermo Zulategui explain the implementation of the new regulations with examples and real cases.
“A player who has participated with the Spanish team (6th in the UEFA ranking) between 20 and 29 percent of the matches will obtain the same points, 10, as whoever has participated between 30 and 39 percent with Germany (13th) or Holland (14th); or 50 and 59 percent with the US (22nd) or Venezuela (28th). Regarding the performance of the player with his club (minutes played both in domestic leagues and in continental competitions) a footballer who accumulates between 40 and 49 percent of minutes in the Champions League or Copa Libertadores will obtain the same points, 5 , than one that plays between 90 and 100 percent in the Europa League or the South American Cup. “
Jesús García Pitarch. The former Aston Villa sports director (2018-2020) experienced the gestation of the new rules first-hand. “They are aimed at making the Premier even bigger and no other league can overshadow it. With this point system only the richest will be able to sign the best players. There will be fewer operations and the big losers will be the clubs with the least economic resources Taking into account, of course, that in the Premier there is a large middle class that has a good purchasing power. Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal rule in the Premier. They do not swallow Chelsea and Manchester City because of the origin of their capital and the ostentation they have made of breaking the market with their signings. “
Victor Orta. Leeds sporting director has also seen the restructuring from within. “As they go along they are realizing that there are situations that have to be rethought. For example, if you are a Real Madrid youth and you go to the first team bench or play for a few minutes, you score points to be able to come and, however, if you are a 18-year-old Norwegian who plays half the minutes in Primera, you can't come. The big losers are already the Scandinavian players, historically a true hotbed of the Premier. They have been marginalized. Their leagues are not powerful but youth production talent is very high. Sweden, Norway, Denmark have been badly damaged. “
He confesses that from now on he will have to modify concepts in everything related to hiring. “Those who are most punished by the new rules are the clubs that are looking for young pearls that are still semi-unknown. Now the market is going to go directly to confirmed, consolidated players. And it was going to be much worse. The clubs took up arms. be difficult to discover players in the Second French or Spanish. For example, Mahrez or Adama, now they would not enter. In the market now, starting players will prevail in their clubs, who play European competitions and are international with their country. The first thing we have to do now as clubs is to know if the players we are following meet the requirements that are asked. There is already an application that does the calculation for you. Scouting rewards little. It hurts the Championship (Second) and the middle class of La Premier, for example Leeds. It's a bit classy. Besides the Nordic countries, he has killed the second divisions. “
However, a new fishing ground is born. “As a different perspective, it has opened a door to South America, preferably Argentina and Brazil, which we did not look at before and now we will see if English clubs want to explore having the same treatment as Europeans. They have acquired a new status. A new path opens up for us. Libertadores and Sudamericano are equal in points to the Champions League and the Europa League. “
Since 1-1-2021, English clubs can no longer sign community players between 16 and 18 years old. The hiring policy based on the recruitment of young continental talents and carried out, preferably, by the big Premier League clubs is put to an end. Few countries have suffered like Spain from this situation. Arsenal hunted in Barcelona, among other youth, Cesc Fábregas, Fran Mérida, Héctor Bellerín… Manchester United fished Gerard Piqué in the same fishing ground as the Camp Nou and also went to French lands in search of Paul Pogba. This case created an unprecedented international controversy to the point that FIFA had to intervene in response to the complaint filed by Le Havre, the club to which the player belonged.
Liverpool, in 2005, captured Miqui Roqué at the age of 17 in the lower divisions of the EU Lleida, who made his debut in the Champions League with 18 against Galatasaray (12-5-2006)… Replacing Xabi Alonso. Also with 18, he paid 400,000 euros to Athletic for Mikel Sanjosé. In 2007, Tottenham paid the Bilbao club a similar amount for Yuri Berchiche, who was then 17 years old.
More recent are Manchester City's bites with Brahim Díaz, Pablo Maffeo, Eric García, Rony Lopes (Portuguese) …
Cesc Fabregas (4-5-87). From cadet A from Barcelona to Arsenal. Summer 2003. At the age of 16, Cesc's pulse is not trembling. An Arsenal scout, Francis Cagigao, stands at his home in Mataró. “We have seen him play 50 times and we want him to sign for Arsenal to play in the Premier.” The player himself remembered not long ago the reasons for his resounding yes. “It was June and the coach, Arsene Wenger, and the general manager, David Dein, were there to greet me. The technician was on vacation in Paris and flew alone to be with a 16-year-old boy. I did not hesitate“.
Signed six years. Barcelona complained to FIFA demanding compensation from Arsenal based on training and promotion rights. Months later the two clubs reached an agreement and the operation was closed at 3.2 million euros in which various concepts entered.
Cesc joins the youth team and on October 28 he becomes the youngest player in the club's history to debut with the first team: 16 years and 177 days. It is a League Cup match against Rotherdam. You saw 57 on the back. The following season, 2004-05, he is already a permanent member of the first team. His premieres follow one another in the Premier (33 games) and in the Champions League (five) … like this until reaching captain with 21 years. In 2011 he decides to return to Barcelona, which pays 54 million to repatriate him.
Gerard Piqué (2-2-87). Arsenal was about to repeat Cesc's move just a year later with Gerard Piqué. In fact, the then player of Barcelona cadet A, traveled to London to hear the offer and made it known to the Barça club in December 2003. Those responsible for grassroots football did not consider it appropriate to break their canons and did not even match the offer. They also punished the player by lowering cadet B.
On the way he crossed Manchester United and Ferguson 'stole' Arsenal's signing. On July 1, 2004, United made the signing of Gerard Piqué official with a photo with the plenipotentiary manager. The Barça club received 5.25 million as compensation for the transfer. In that first season (2004-05) he played three games with the first team. The first in the League Cup against Crewe Alexandria (26-10). Play 23 minutes. I was 17 years old. The second was in the Champions League (8-12) against Fenerbhace. Another 25 minutes.
In the following season, he played three Premier League matches, two Cup matches and two League Cup matches. In 2006-07 he was loaned to Zaragoza where he enlisted in 22 league games and six in the Cup. Back at Old Trafford, he did not finish taking a starting position: nine appearances in the Premier, three in the Champions League and one in League Cup. The player makes the decision to return to Barcelona, which pays 5.50 to get him back four years after his departure.
Héctor Bellerín (19-3-95). In the spring of 2011, Bellerín, at the same time as his fellow cadet A Jon Miquel Toral then winger receives the first call from Arsenal. Months later it belongs to the discipline of the London club that pays 500,000 euros for the transfer. Enter the juvenile. In July 2013 he signed his first professional contract and on 25-9 he played his first match with the first team in the League Cup.. Replaces Arteta. A couple of months later he is loaned to Watford. In the 14-15 with 19 years he already belongs to the first team. He debuted earlier in the Champions League (four games) than in the Premier (20). Continue at the Arsenal.
Senn Ferrero has also carried out practical simulations on some signings made by Premier clubs in the past, before the implementation of the 'Brexit measures', and its application with current standards. Contradictory situations are contemplated.
Fernando Torres. He would have obtained the work permit automatically for his participation with the Selection. He signed for Liverpool in the 2007-08 season from Atlético de Madrid and the previous year he had played more than 80 percent of the games played by Spain.
Juan kill. He signed for Chelsea from Valencia. According to the current scales, it would have had to go through the Exceptions Committee. He would not have obtained the work permit automatically for his contribution to the Selection. In the 20-11 season he participated in 23.07 of the games (10 points). To reach the plenary session, he would have to resort to playing minutes with Valencia, 2,581 of the 3,420 for which he was available, 75.46 percent. For this concept, it would add another 10 points and it would already meet the current requirements.
Marcos Alonso. Transferred on 1-7-2010 by Real Madrid to Bolton Wanderers FC (at that time in the English top flight). At the under-21 age, the previous season he had only played one meeting with the white first team, which would have allowed him to add six points. The fact of having played more than 80 percent of the minutes with Real Madrid Castilla did not help him to continue adding as the team finished in eighth position. Nor would he have obtained points for the scoring criterion for the continental classification, but he would have obtained two for the quality of the home club. With a total of eight points, he would not even have been able to choose to submit an application to the Exceptions Committee because he was not in the range between 10 and 15 points.
Non-EU citizens in Spain for the 2021-22 season
British players in Spain are counted on the fingers of one hand: Bale (Wales-Real Madrid) now on loan to Tottenham; Trippier (England-Atlético de Madrid) and Yunus Musah (Valencia, American by birth but with a British passport).
As of today, his situation is regulated by the agreement reached by the RFEF, LaLiga and the AFE. “Community status is maintained for players with nationality of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland with a contract and license in force as of December 31, 2020 and until the end of this 2020/2021 season.”
The circular also indicates that footballers with British nationality who are registered as of January 1, 2021 will be considered for the purposes of registration, maximum line-up quotas, as “extra-community”. The tripartite agreement was submitted to the Higher Sports Council for it to show its agreement and to rule on the possibility that these British players considered as “community” continue to be so until the expiration of their contract and without the possibility of being extended by extensions or extensions thereof.