Liverpool FC Forum

[ivor_the_injun]

Just in on bbc.co.uk/sport

Uefa sets foreign player limits 
 
Uefa has announced clubs competing in the Champions League and Uefa Cup will have to include four homegrown players in their 25-man squad from 2006.
Europe's governing body also wants to implement the plan in domestic leagues but that will have to be agreed by each national association.

Uefa then wants six homegrown players by 2007 and eight in 2008.

Of the eight, at least four must be trained by the club's own academy and the rest from the home country.

Uefa defines a club-trained player as one who has been registered for a minimum of three seasons with the club between the age of 15 and 21.

Of the 32 sides in last season's Champions League, five clubs would have not had enough homegrown players.

They are: Arsenal, Chelsea, Celtic, Rangers and Ajax.

Uefa's 52 member associations will vote on whether the same rule should apply to domestic competitions at a Congress in Tallinn, Estonia in April.

There has already been strong opposition voiced by the Premier League and the Italian federation.

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We'll be fine, but I can see teams like Arsenal putting makeweights that wouldn't normally get a look-in in their squads just for the sake of meeting the quotas. There's also the possibility of this artificially inflating transfer fees whenever a team with money expresses an interest in a domestic player. That said, I do think it's - at heart at least - a good move. The worst thing that could happen to football would be for teams to have no links with the local area other than where the stadium lives.

[jim_morrison_supported_liverpool]

Rafa is a smart b*stard.
He could see this coming in my opinion. thats why he's going about his youth policy in the way he is. he's preparing for it. he's given out four new contracts to academy players, or is it five?
great thinking ahead there. imagine the teams who leave it too late and end up with sh*te on their books, cos all their good young players have been signed by someone else.

yet more credit has to go to Benitez.

[ivor_the_injun]

Where does this leave Chelsea? I must admit I can't think of any of their players that have come through their academy. I'm also unclear on whether the need for four academy players by 2008 translates as teams needing two academy players by next year, or if that's just been said to give teams an incentive to get players registered with their academies in the next 3 years.

[jonnymac1979]

I want to see more local players in the side.  A chance for the kids to make it.

[Leonmc0708]

I agree Johnny, but not just cus there local, I want to see great players from Liverpool in the team.

Surely this must contrevene some European legislation on freedom to work abroad or the likes.

[ivor_the_injun]

I'm sure that argument will be made, but I can see most football associations going with this, to be honest. It's been coming for a while, and I'm just glad that UEFA have been big enough to put their weight behind it - there are a lot of teams with a lot of money that will not like this.

[stmichael]

I heard rumours of this a few months ago and have to say it's definitely a good thing. Clubs should have home-grown talent. There's nothing wrong with foreigners in the game, but to have players who have grown up with the youths is good for the club and fans.

Anything thats good for LFC and bad for Chelski's fine by me. Should, if not stop, at least hamper them from buying every competition.

[dawson99]

celtic and rangers are screwed LOL

[The_Rock]

why don't uefa just stand in the back-ground and leave football as it is

1st the transfer window & now this ?

I am all for having home-grown players but not at the expense of the team...... I would rather have 25 world class players in LFC.

[Ola Mr Benitez]

And you think British players are expensive now???

Imagine what price of Wright-Philips brothers could be worth.. or any under 21 player

[dawson99]

this is just like when that joseph guy had to go home to have his kid years ago. maybe football really is the new religion!

[84-1106852058]

I smell trouble with this one.What about those jumped up dictators in Brussels,look what happend last time U.E.F.A.got involved in employment laws Bossman.

[stmichael]

celtic and rangers are screwed LOL

good point that dawson.

they would be screwed, especially on the european stage.

[crazyhorse]

I think it is a great idea, and in the long term will go a long way to helping the club and English football as a whole.
Forcing clubs to bring in home grown talent will in time drive the cost and wage demands of some of the foreign imports down as they will not be in such high demand and some of the mediocre rubbish that we have in the PL will vanish.
Forcing down the value of these players and wages in general will be a bonus for those clubs in the lower leagues who cannot compete. The England side will deffo benefit and as Liverpool is a city that breathes football the club will be better off in the long term as the most promising youngsters come through.

[ronmeister]

Can only be good in my eyes the big clubs will have to invest in feeder clubs and players who dont make the grade in the top clubs will automatically filter down, As for celtic and Rangers when have they ever been any good in Europe so no change there.The National squad can only get better as well Great idea in my eyes lets hope it dont put up to many hidden hurdles