In what looks sets to be just another Brexit sideshow,a fight is brewing in the Premier League over homegrown quotas and which teams are allowed to attend the meeting that will determine the numbers.
In Friday’s Daily Mail, Sami Mokbel wrote, “Premier League clubs are scrambling to be among the five teams allowed into talks over the post-Brexit homegrown player quota. Top-flight officials want to assemble a working taskforce to discuss likely regulation changes following the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union.
“The upcoming talks will revolve around which foreign players are eligible for homegrown status. But the Premier League have informed clubs that only a limited number of them will be permitted to attend the meeting — a move which has caused concern among the majority of clubs.
“It is likely the clubs selected will represent a cross-section of interests, ranging from those at the top of the table to the bottom. representatives from the FA and the EFL will also attend. As it stands, a homegrown player is one who, irrespective of nationality or age, has been with an English or Welsh academy for three seasons or 36 months prior to his 21st birthday. But Brexit could have major consequences for the definition of a homegrown player.
“Sportsmail understands Chelsea have lobbied significantly to be one of the five clubs involved. The Blues’ recruitment model would be significantly affected by new rules on signing foreign youngsters.”
A Premier League shareholder meeting held last month came to the conclusion that a Brexit working party was required to find consensus between the FA, EFL and Premier League over the number of foreigners allowed in a squad post-Brexit.
The FA have been touting a ‘merit system’ which sees teams allowed to field more foreigners if they bring through a certain number of homegrown players. The FA’s technical director, Les Reed, was touring England to try and convince clubs this is the way to go.
“It’s a wise move,” the Daily Mail quoted one club as saying. It is not clear if that club was Burnley or not.
It is, of course, only a wise move if you completely ignore how the Premier League is only such a behemoth of a product because of the influx of foreign talent.
Kind of like the rest of the UK, really.
But sure, Brexit. Yippee.
Taking back control of something we always had control of in the first place.
Woop.
Can’t wait til we all have to play like Burnley.