Paphos People

Apparently Sepp Blatter wants all leagues to have a restriction of no more than 5 foreign players allowed in each team - looking to introduce it in stages up until 2012.

Will it catch on??

I think this one will catch on. I think the groundswell in Europe is against The Premier and the fact that they can attract so many stars from other countries.
Hey it might make Dennis Wise redundant.
We'll be snookered though with all the Oirish we've got !
Gary

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So close yet so far away

Without thinking too much about it "my (considerable!!) gut" tells me this is a good idea.

20 years ago (doodoo - i sound old now!) there was, im sure, only 3 non GB+Ireland players in the starting 11 + bench, now its common to have a handfull of GB+Ireland in the whole squad, i was for an unknown reason, disapointed when Arsenal this or last season field a whole team of non GB+Eire, let alone English - in the English league ! I guess money brings money brings money and the English lads drop down division(s) to make room for superstars.

Will the Premier league be less exciting for this ruling ?

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My opinion; worth price charged.

According to the news yesterday, he's unable to get the go ahead for this decision due to EU regulation on freedom to work anywhere or something like that, meaning any EU person can chose to work in any EU country, so restricting the amount of foriegn players to a team is against this rule & so can't be enforced

Being selected for the match day team and being employed for the club, surely, are too seperate things ?

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My opinion; worth price charged.

But what is the use having some 15 foreign players (ie Arsenil) if you can only play 6 of them

You employ foreign players to play them week in, week out but if you're then restricted to only 6

Thats like owning a company with 50 foriegn workers but only being able to use 6 at a time you can't do it according to the EU law, its the freedom of working within the EU you see

just shows how the freedom of movement in the eu has been great for workers but not for sport in general

i hope it does go ahead (no just because Boro have so many english players mind ),


if you look at top level sport in the uk, football/rugby union/rugby league and cricket are all now dominated by overseas players.

the eu ruling on free movement started it off and the kolpac ruling (allowing countries outside the eu with trade agreements to be dealt with as eu members on a work basis) will result in the rich countries having the best leagues but their national teams getting worse.

it is even starting at academy level too, with chelsea, man u and arsenal (as well as others) recruiting more youth players from abroad. (in some cases making the team who actually developed the player in the first team question whether or not to continue with their youth set ups surely not good for any sports long term)

one question though, if it does go ahead (and i think eu burocrats will stop it ) will scottish, welsh and irish players be classed as foreign (it will really bugger up sunderland if they are)

The problem, if it goes ahead, will be that the big 4 or big 6 will simply sign all the best English players.
For the Premier League nothing will change.
It might have a bearing on how the English teams fare against Euro opposition that's all.
Gary

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So close yet so far away

Not as if the cost of buying an English players isn't high enough already, if this does go through, there prices & wages will go through the roof

I mean to buy a young talented english player today cost alomost twice as much as it does to bring someone if from say France or Spain, that's why there are so many foriegn players in the Premiership these days

Blatter wants it but the good news though, is that the EU have completely rejected the claims that the rule is to go ahead, here’s what John McDonald—spokesman for the European Commissioner for Sport—told BBC why he does not expect Blatter’s ambitions to succeed

http://goonertalk.wordpress.com/2008/05 ... five-rule/