Should there be a quota on foreign players?

Fifa today voted in favour of Sepp Blatter's controversial "six-plus-five" rule, which limits the amount of foreign players in the starting XI to five.

In the week when a poll revealed that fewer English players started matches in the Premier League than ever before, the top brass obviously felt that this was an issue affecting the entire footballing world.

But is it a problem? So what if your team fields all foreign players if they improve the side? Doesn't Arsene Wenger's slick brand of the game give every fan what they want - huge entertainment? And he often does it without one Englishman in Arsenal's starting XI. The influx of overseas players has also often been lauded for improving the technique of young, English players.

And what about the legalities - isn't a restriction on foreign players tantamount to a constraint of trade?

Or do you feel that this move is essential if the English national side is to become a world power once again? With all the Home Nations sitting out Euro 2008, it has never been more evident that our international teams are suffering. Isn't that because of the amount of foreigners keeping home-grown talent out of the side?

What do you think - should their be a quota on foreign players? Vote below and leave your comments - maybe you can make a difference.

Opinion Polls & Market Research

Comments

[Mark Moises]

Rather than have a 6+5 rule which focuses on a minimum amount of players born in your own country, the rule should be that each team plays a certain amount of "homegrown" players who have been with the club from 18 or younger.

The 6+5 wouldn't do anything to stop the status quo of big lazy clubs signing all the best English players and leaving the smaller teams weaker. By bringing in a rule that a quota of players must have come through the youth system at the club, this will encourage ALL teams to bring through their own players.

This wouldn't be illegal either as youth players could be effictively be any nationality.

[KevL]

Please stop. Take a step back. Think. Why does Mr. Blatter want to do this - because it weakens national leagues and strengthens FIFA. It is not good for football, it is only good for FIFA and Blatter's never ending power grab. Please remember, FIFA don't own football WE DO!!! The fans who pay every week to watch. If we stop going, there is no professional game. Sky, FIFA, the Premier League, the FA all may think they own the game, they certainly behave as though they do, but they don't. We do. Two more things, if I may; C. Elder you are certainly entitled to your view but almost everything you've written is just wrong. If you're going to shout in the public forum, at least shout accurately. And lastly, I love football but I'm an Arsenal supporter not an England supporter and I don't care a fig if England ever play another game. If they're playing and I'm watching I'll be behind them - they are after all representing my country for better or worse - but you can't be loyal to opposing ideas and League and International football are in direct opposition. Thank you Mr. Blatter for this situation. Make no mistake fellow supporters, it is Blatters' aggressive promotion of the national game for no other reason than personal power and prestige that has caused this situation. And finally, a simple test; if your club side played your national side, who would you be cheering for? I humbly suggest all you supporters out there who are voting in this poll to support the (illegal and totally self-serving) FIFA initiative decide pretty quickly and clearly where your allegiance lies, the team for whom your heart truly races and maybe you'll think about voting again and then join the new organisation FAQ - Fans Against Quotas. After all, quotas are illegal, immoral and let's face it, just plain wrong.

[andy]

arse wenger has no interest in the success of the england team or in fact his english players. He is hurting football and particularly english football as a result. Also, to mention Upson and walcott as examples of the 'youth system' is ridiculous. Upson was bought from Luton, and Walcott from Southampton. They are products of the Luton and Southampton system. The only player of any note who was brought through was Bentley, and we know how he feels about the club now.
Wenger is an affront to football, as are the shortsighted fans who support his policy.

[Neale]

All this would achieve is an earlier breakaway of the European Super League...Kerry Packer style..

bring it on if you dare.

[Claire]

Surely it would mean English teams would be less successful in Europe-did we not all bemoan the foreigner quota rule back in the days when Man Utd first entered the Champions League?

Claiming that less foreigners will improve the national side is ridiculous, on a par with blaming the climate for poor performance in the summer tournaments.

[Simon S]

Sepp Blatter, the president of FIFA, cites English dominance of the Champions League as proof of the need to restrict how many foreigners a team may field. Some old-style hoof-it English managers claim that import restrictions would somehow help the coaching of young British talent.

This is the protectionist tosh! How could a sport get better by limiting competition or lowering standards? English children are bad at football mainly because their training is bad. The league football in England is unimaginably better than it was. With luck EU labour law will stop Mr Blatter and keep it that way.

[Mihai]

There should certainly not be a quota on foreign players. First of all, this is clearly a discrimination on foreigners, and secondly, I believe that the bigger the market, the more choices a team will have when buying a player, resulting in better teams and a better quality of football in general.

I also consider that the influx of foreigners in some countries has nothing to do with the poor performances of the respective countries at the international level. England, the best team to stay at home during the EURO 2008, will always have world class players at their side. Their only problems are related to the management of the team.

Also, if you take for instance the Portuguese, which at some recent time had (or still have, I do not know for sure) more Brazilians in their league than the whole Brazilian league, you will see that they have had notable results at the international stage recently.

Nevertheless, I do admit that making a habit of buying only foreign players has its problems. The influx of foreigners tends to enable managements of some teams to neglect the importance of youth academies, and become complacent with the effortless method of buying other clubs' players. This, like any other thing, should be balanced, and in my opinion, equal importance should be attributed to both buying players and raising your own.

[Tom]

A lot is made of the fact that young English players are being driven out of the Premiership by foreign players. However, surely this means that the young English players could do exactly the same as the foreigners and move abroad. Surely if there are so many foreigners coming into the Premiership from foreign leagues, they must create opportunities for English players abroad!

[Scott]

C - Elder you have serious issues, are you a spurs fan by any chance. Ashley Cole, David Bentley are originally Arsenal. Theo Walcott too, Sidwell, Upson, Pennant. All these players learnt there trade at Arsenal and are now key players at there clubs and on the fringes of the national set up. World football need's freedom to trade just like the world markets do.
Vin - point taken but all the fans identify with, is the badge, the shirt and the stadium. Everything else is subject to change - Actually they are too, so it's just the name we support then. Come on people if your good enough you should play - simple!

[Matt Nicolson]

Pennant, Upson, Sidwell, Bentley, Richard Wright, Jeffers, Ashley Cole, Muamba, Harper, Stack, Julian Gray.

All English men, all signed by Arsene Wenger or nurtured through the youth system. If anybody can tell me which one of them would get near the Arsenal bench these days Ill eat my hat. All of them failed, were too impatient or just plain (Cashly) greedy.

All a quota system will do is reward mediocre footballers more game time than they deserve, why should fans who pay up to grand for a season ticket have to watch the kind of dross we saw served up against the USA on Wednesday, and that was the cream of English talent!

[Oli]

All the attacks on Arsenal are getting kind of old, Arsenal have played probably the most attractive football out of any premiership sides, for the majority of Wenger's reign. As a neutral, thats what football is about for me, not hate directed at the team for lack of English players.

To the people attacking Arsenal about not bringing through any young English players, have a think about which club "The new Beckham" came from.

All the talk about lack of technical ability and composure on the ball causing England's demise, focus on keeping the ball and tidy passing sounds a lot like the club currently teaching Walcott his trade.

[Adam Michie]

Does requiring six out of eleven nationals in your starting line up really go against European conventions on employment? Surely it's just like saying you can pick 3 out of 5 subs per game. It's a footballing rule. There is nothing in the idea against buying (employing) foreign nationals into your squad. A team could have 15 foreigners in their squad so long as they have 6 English that's all that's required. In the real world of course injuries take their toll and working with a razor thin margin like that would be ridiculous. I think it's a good way of giving your home grown talent a chance and who knows, general football standards may improve because of it. You could have 5 foreigners on the bench if you wanted after all!

Great idea C. Elder! Only English players for English teams. Then maybe if you're lucky the Premiership will be as dull, uninspiring and unsuccessful as the English national team. Your xenophobia is frightening and anti-Arsenal rhetoric boring.

[Chris Roberts]

In reality arsenal will probably be the best prepared for a quota system. The quota system proposed classes "home-grown"players as individuals who have been trained by the club for 2 or 3 (can't remember??) years before the age of 21. By bringing 16/17 year old from abroad Wenger has effectively found a loop-hole even before the laws have been placed.

[alex]

"Ultimately if an English player doesn't make it, it's because he isn't good enough, do people honestly think Wenger intentionally doesn't play English players, if he thought an English player could do a job, he would have him in in a flash."

Thats nonsense. Wenger doesn't buy English/British, because prodigal 16 year olds from abroad are a fraction of the cost from UK & Ireland.

And yes there should be a quota, something such as at least three, but six is too much. Its more than half the starting line up. Three is enough, so homegrown talent can always have a chance (plus not having a homenational player in any club in any league is disgraceful and Arsenal have been rightly villified in the past).

Yes to a quota, no to Blatters ideas. He just loves controversy, poor old Swiss nut.

[Nicolas Kozeschnik]

The problem with this quota system is first and foremost restriction of trade – well theirs a law in place for that totally goes against Blatter’s plans. Secondly with this rule in place, transfer’s of local below average players will soar to ‘Superstar level’. Thirdly, the best players will no longer be mixing with those potential players we in England have for them to improve because they will be surrounded by players that are not very talented in the first place. Fourthly, this will drive out talented players to seek clubs in their own nation who have the same countrymen with the same talent for the same club, i.e. the Italian League and Spanish League and the French League will become a lot stronger in Europe and the Premiership Bubble will burst. Be advised, buy shares in those clubs now before they sky rocket – I have!

[C.Elder]

Forget the namby-pamby EC and Blatter,and the greedy owners and FA.
What do we English fans want for our teams?
Do we want to watch a team with NO English players a la ARSEnal?A team which in 12 consecutive years of being managed by a Frenchman could not find a single English youth/youngster to develop and nurture?A team that even today continues to buy and field foreign players as their first choice?A team that takes our hard-earned pounds and uses them in such a way that Arsenal have not supplied a SINGLE English player to the England team since the great Seaman/Adams/Keown/Dixon/Wright era?
Is Arsenal a successful ENGLISH team,or a team funded by our money that HAPPENS to play in England?
If we stopped supporting teams like this then we wouldn't need the Blatters.

[Malcolm]

Whether the quota system would work or not is a prolonged debate that could only be won or lost if it were implemented. Therefore it would seem logical not to do so, as the risk of a 'loss' would be detrimental not only to English Football, but European and World Football as well.

The ultimate blame on the failures of the England national side over the years lies squarely with the FA; poor managerial choices, poor selection, failure to establish a good youth system and blatant arrogance and ignorance at the top.

If the FA voted for this scheme for the intention of improving the national side are they implying that the individuals in the national side are not good enough due to foreign players? I can not think of one player in the first 11 of the national side that is being kept out of his club side due to a foreigner. They are all super stars within their respective club team and do not suffer from a lack of playing time/development. So why do they continue to come up short on the international stage? Probably the same reason why their predecessors failed before the influx of foreigners to the EPL, they're just not good enough, simple as. Stop blaming foreigners and start admitting your own short comings.

[Oli]

Only Fifa and in particular Blatter could have the arrogance to think that they alone are above the law by proposing a fundamentally racist and xenophobic rule. "Sorry Cesc, you're not playing today, your performance? no no you've been playing well, it's because you're a foreigner".

I pray that the 155 to 5 vote was merely to discuss the idea because god help our game if 155 of the fifa congress are that short sighted and ignorant.

Thinking this will in anyway break the stranglehold of the big four or help young English players is incredibly naive. The big four will simply buy the better English players. The likes of Bentley , Barry etc would be snapped up by the big four for extortionate fees while more gifted foreign players would languish at clubs further down the table, playing alongside substantially inferior english players.
Ultimately if an English player doesn't make it, it's because he isn't good enough, do people honestly think Wenger intentionally doesn't play English players, if he thought an English player could do a job, he would have him in in a flash.

The most severe consequence of this proposal would be the impact of aspiring players from countries other than England, Spain or italy. These players, particularly in developing countries dream of getting a chance to play in these leagues, but in reality the clubs from these leagues will have to use there foreign player spots wisely, so most likely on established players. This rule would mean that some of the most prodigious talents from in particular African and South American nations may never be discovered or get the opportunity at the top level. Ironically this might end up substantially weakening the national team of for example Ghana, or god forbid even Brazil. The true loss though, would be the magnificent players who would never be, all so John Smith could have his chance.

[Vin]

Good point, but football fans do not identify themselves with owners and seldom do it with managers (btw Ferguson is British and British players/managers have historically been considered like non-foreigners). They identify with players.
All the greatest sides in the history of club competitions relied on foreign players, but to an extent. AC Milan without Gullitt Rajkard and Van Basten would not have been the same thing, but then there were the other 8 players too!
Same could be said for Man Utd, while a team like Chelsea has still maintained a decent balance and yet provides some very important players to the national team.
As somebody pointed out, what Arsenal fans identify with?

[Scott]

Vin - Arsenal discrace. I'm London born and bread and Aresenal's youth set up has spread top English talent through out the premier and lower leagues. As for national teams. The Scottish and English teams on paper are excellent. Scotland would have qualified from any other group and England need to learn to plat as a team. Stop being xenaphobic. Joe Cole, Rooney, Ashley Young the list of young talent goes on, thanks to the influx of true talent to our shores...

[Andrew]

any person who supports their team before their country should should not object to any amount of foreign players in their team.

The fact is that they are to an extent more exciting and to restrict their employment would reduce the quality of the EPL, hamper english chances in the Uefa Cup and CL. The fact is England enjoys national football competitively once every 2 yrs, and competitive club football every season for over thirty games. I would much rather watch top quality club football throughout the EPL every year, than sacrifice that for a 'potentially' better national team.

[Andrew]

I'd like to see it. But Europe will never allow it. You can't get round it simply by saying the clubs can sign as many as they want but just not play them. It's been tried before. Most people will know what the Bosman free transfer rule is. Well, it's called the 'Bosman' rule because it was a player called Bosman who challenged the rule that teams had to pay to sign out-of-contract players in the European Court. The rule was declared unlawful. But also in that case, the old 3+2 rule (that you had to have at least 3 national players in your team and 2 players who had been in the country for a certain amount of time) was also declared unlawful. The argument that the clubs can sign players but just not play them was expressly rejected. It still creates a barrier to free movement. The further problem is that the free movement rules are applicable against the clubs themselves, and so the clubs can't even do anything of their own accord. We can't change the EC rules generally, becuase it would involve such a mammoth change to EC free movement of persons law. Further, you can't get some agreement with the European institutions, becuase the rules on free movement come directly from the European Treaty. So they can't do anything that would undermine the Treaty rule -they haven't got the power to do that. The only way you can do anything is to actually have an ammendment made to the Treaty itself to put an express exception in, and that can only be done by the Member States themselves.

[Terje]

Why only players? What constitutes an Englih club? The players, the manager or the owner(s)? Is ManU, Chelsea or Liverpool more English than Arsenal? Neither of the 4 have an English manager, neither would fare well without their foreign players. Only Arsenal have predominately English owners. The whole idea will decrease the quality of EPL to the 70-80s.

[Vin]

For once in my life I agree with Blatter.
What is striking is that common sense should prevail and a measure like the one proposed should only be regarded as an extreme one, to be adopted in cases of calamity and insanity. Indeed some English clubs have employed in recent years a policy that really makes such controversial rule as needed as ever.
Arsenal, to make the most simple of examples, is a disgrace for English football, the way the club is managed and governed off the pitch is abysmal and if such rules are now deemed to be enacted it's just because the reckless attitude of such clubs that have really pushed the bosman rule to the very limit.
The legal controversy will be an interesting one, but outside the technicalities of the case, one basic truth remains: football is losing its character, its features, its popular grassroots. All thanks to the "genious" behind clubs like Arsenal, Liverpool or Inter Milan.

C. Elder, Are you implying that someone should only support teams made up of ppl of their own nationality? Isn't that what international football is for? Also, if Arsenal players are mercenaries shouldn't they be providing their services to the highest bidders/wage payers, e.g. chelsea, man u? The fact that John Terry probably makes double the amount of Fabregas (and most likely any other player employed by Arsenal) kind of riuns your whole 'foreign mercenary' theory doesn't it. One last thing. Theo Walcott was part of the England squad in their last friendly, and last I heard he played for Arsenal. Also, if you had bothered to do any research before posting you would've known that Arsenal have a number of Under 18 English internationals.

[William Dowsett]

I think the whole issue about foreign players comes down to the fact that if our young players were coached better from a young age and hence were better players, clubs wouldn't buy in overseas players. We also have to ask ourselves why don't our young players get poached by overseas club like Fabregas et al have been by English clubs? Maybe because we just aren't good enough!

[Freddie Rugginz]

The main obstacle for the implementation of a quota system are the European laws on the free movement of workers within the EU. I don't see that the quota system would restrict the movement of workers as the clubs can still sign as many foreign players as they like, they just won't be able to field all of them for a match. Is that not a possible loophole FIFA could exploit?

[C.Elder]

Blatter should "blatt off!".
However English fans of so-called English teams like Arsenal should ask themselves why they support a team that- is entirely made up of foreign mercenaries;has no connexion to anything local;does not recruit or develop a single English player;provides no players to the England National team;etc etc.Arsenal are the worst example of what Blatter is attacking.However,forget Blatter,why don't the fans stop supporting teams like Arsenal who have so little English representation?

[anon]

Italy's Serie A has nearly as much foreigners as EPL, yet the Italians are world champions. On that basis, there seems to be a positive correlation between how many foreign players in the domestic league and the chances for national team success!

Also, how many international tournaments has England won in all the years before the Premier League when there were less foreign players!

The purpose and aim of this rule is all too fuzzy and given this, such a massive change in the fundamentals rules of football is extreme.

Anyways, all this is irrelevant, the EC will never ever allow this rule to go through. Can you imagine this rule going ahead in any other industry! Only in football/sport can such a clear case of a discriminatory law be even contemplated. This doesn't suprise anyone in the football community though given the FIFA president is Sepp Blatter.

[Pav]

There were hardly any foriegners playing football in England up until 1995. In 1974,78 and 94 England did not qualify or the World cup. they did not qualify for the European Championships in 1984. In 88,92 and 2000 went out in the first stages, so how can you blame the foreign players for the demise of English football?

[mariusz]

Words cannot describe how angry this makes me. Enough of this rubbish. Time for the FA to succeed from FIFA.

[Jimmy Cuz]

Look at cricket and rugby where we perform far better on the international stage. Could it have something to do with the limits placed on foreign players? I think the quota would mean only the great foreigners play in the Prem. No more Bocanegras and Li Ti's please!

[Dudley TOLKIEN]

This rule would apply to every country, so would be reciprocal. The problem for the England team is that we export so many fewer players than we import, therefore fewer Englishmen play at the top level, in whatever country. Also, such a rule would hamper the development of players from developing nations, which would not help the world game, for which the attention-seeking Mr.Blatter is supposed to be custodian.

[Paul Owen]

No there shouldn't be a quota system. International football is for seeing the best national sides. Club football is different and is all the better for our clubs getting the best players. The quality of football in the Champions League is better than most international football and the same can be said for the Premier League. It's a form of entertainment and we pay through the nose for it. Blatter should mind his own business. The customers want to see the best and that is the best from around the world.

[Greg P]

Not a problem for me.

I'm a Liverpool fan and would love to see more home-grown players in our 11. We've had a great youth team over the past 3-4 years and it would be great to see more of them getting a chance in the first team (something many fans probably agree with).

The 6+5 suggestion does place one immediate problem in my mind - other than the possible 'illegality' of it. How would it affect substitutions? Would English players not be allowed to be replaced by foreigners? Would only 6 foreigners in total be allowed in an 18 man squad?

I'm behind the theory in general, but cannot see it being put into practice.

[Ilja]

Yeah, and of course it is only Arsenal who do that. Hypocrisy gets a new dimension reading such articles....

[John]

Yes, there should definitely be some kind of restriction on the number of foreign players. This will help the England team as more English players will be getting first team football in the Premiership.

[CHARLES]

Qoutas/restrictions run into EU laws.
Possible ways round:
- before each match the two teams decide on the maximum number of foreign players that may be fielded.
- score goals by foreign players as less than a full goal
- add points to championship scores according to number of local players fielded.

[Timothy Tanner]

Remind me, how much did England win when the league was dominated by Englishmen? What does this do to help the worldwide game? It limits players leaving for a better career at foreign clubs so their own game gets damaged, or does anything think the likes of Adebayor would be feared player if still in Togo? Will this open up domestic leagues? No, Man U, Chelsea and other rich clubs will buy the best local players they can find, despite the decrease in quality they will suffer, everyone else has the same problem so guess who remains the big four?

There would be more English players in the EPL if we trained them properly. The Fa is making a good start on clawying backs years of neglect but still being rather slow, blocking Brooking's efforts due to internal reform when they should be giving him free reign. Even then, it will take awhile, it has taken ten years for the Arsenal academy to bear fruit with English players like Gibbs, Randall, Wiltshire and Lansburry are to be promoted into first team squad next season while others will hope to follow suit

[Tommy]

Come on this is just a blatant anti English move. Its clear through history and even the eurovision song contest that we are not liked by other countries. I personally think Blater is feeling personally threatened by the Premier league the 39th game fiasco didn't help I think he fears the Premier league breaking away and becoming independent which if it were not for the UEFA champions league would be a good idea after all under the current climate we are under the mercy of half wit meglomaniacs like blatter and his band of rougues.