Football talks!

The most striking news in football land is the regulations drawn up by the FA regarding the Brexit. The FA stipulated that in the future players from EU countries will also have to apply for a work permit, just as was already the case for non-EU players.

The criteria that will be assessed are similar to the current criteria. For example, youth and A internationals, quality of the selling club (league, position and progression in continental competition) and club appearances will be considered. A point system has been developed which allows for the automatic granting of a work permit for players who exceed a certain point limit. Players hanging around this limit will be assessed by a panel of experts before a permit is granted.

An even more drastic change will be made to attract U21 players. Whereas the English clubs to this day are skimming European youth fields and attracting top talents to their academies, from January 2021 this will be limited to a maximum of 3 talents in January and 6 over the whole year per club. 

The effect of this regulation will most likely be that English clubs will stall a number of players at satellite clubs in other countries where they will then be able to play until they have earned enough points or until they are deemed sufficiently good to belong to 1 of the 6 annual U-21 transfers.

The Brexit clearly also has consequences in football land. The scope of this amended regulation will only become fully clear in the next few years, but it will also mean that the competitive position of the English clubs vis-à-vis the European clubs will suffer when it comes to attracting talented players.

Tim Smet is a Belgian lawyer specialising in sports law who also acts as an agent for football players.