THE BIG ISSUE
Are there too many foreigners in the English Premier League?
YES, says Uefa president Michel Platini
I don't like the system in which clubs scour other countries for the best young talent to bring back to their team.
I want to protect the young players of 14 and 15 years of age who need to stay with their hometown clubs, with their families, and then at the age of 20, 21, 22 it's no problem. Many will come back at 16 destroyed because it was not a success.
NO, says Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger
I am quite amazed (by Platini's comments). I don't understand because our purpose (at Arsenal) is to give a good life to a player who wants to become a good football player. I don't see what is wrong with that.
YES, says Steven Gerrard
Something has got to happen otherwise there will be more and more foreigners and they will take over. I am sure the quota idea won't do any harm. I am sure it will help the national team. We want as many homegrown players playing in the league as possible.
There is a concern that the talent will stop coming through if foreigners do take over the league. We are proud to say that we have one of the best leagues in the world. The most important thing is we have one of the best national teams as well, and that will only happen if we produce good young talent like we have done over the years.
I am all for getting good young English players through. It has happened to myself and all the other English players. It is pointless having the best league in the world if our national team is going to suffer in the long run.
Yes, says Steve Coppell
Currently it's a recipe for non-success at international level.
We're the English Premier League yet the majority of the teams at the top of the Premiership have very few English players. We must protect our identity by having a limited (minimum) number of English players.
Readers Comments
“The number of foreign players in the Premier League is not the real issue. After all, Italy, Germany and France have just as many foreign players in their leagues, and their national sides still have plenty of success. The difference for me is that many Germans, Italians and French are plying their trade outside their home countries. This introduces them to new styles of play, and as a result, they get used to their international opponents’ styles. There are currently no players in the England national team who play in a foreign league, save Beckham.
“Similarly, Europe’s top leagues are flooded with managers who are foreign to the league in which they coach. But where are the English managers making waves in Italy, Spain, Germany or France?”
Posted by “brod104”, November 27
“I keep hearing and reading that there is a dearth of English talent at present, a complete lack of depth some say. Are they not aware that England’s Under-21s reached the semi-finals of the European Championship last summer or that the team haven’t actually lost a match (penalties aside) for two years?
“We are a mid-rank nation – sometimes we qualify, sometimes we don’t, sometimes we have a great run (once, just once, we had a really great run), sometimes we don’t. We will win something again one day, but we will lose plenty more before and after it.”
Posted by “righteous1”, November 27
“If there’s a problem with young players (of any nationality) breaking through in the top teams it’s probably to do with money, not foreign players. The top clubs can afford to build up a huge squad of players; any quota system would just see the few quality English players concentrated at fewer clubs. I’d rather see the likes of Young, Agbonlahor, Bentley, Downing, Reo-Coker, Carson, Richards, Johnson, Milner and Noble playing regularly for their current clubs rather than them earning twice as much money to warm the bench at Stamford Bridge or Old Trafford. And that’s the risk with any simple quota system.”
Posted by “badgerboy”, November 29
“The problem with the England national team is that too many players are under consideration, not too few.
Way back in the heady days of 1990 – before those “bloody foreigners” came and turned off the tap of endless English talent – England reached a World Cup semi-final. They did it playing 12 games – the same number England played just to fail to qualify for Euro 2008.
In those games, England used just 22 players (including substitutes). Five players (Peter Shilton, Stuart Pearce, Des Walker, Chris Waddle and Gary Lineker) played in every match. In contrast, Steve McClaren used 37 players in his attempt to qualify for Euro 2008.”
Posted by “badgerboy”, December 1
“The influx of foreign players has certainly led to an increase in the quality of the English Premier League and meant that English clubs can compete better in European competition. However, it has without doubt stifled English talent developing. I certainly wouldn’t altogether blame the Premier League clubs. Who would you buy: Bent at £16m or Van Persie/Adebayor at £4m? Curtis Davies at £8m or Daniel Agger at £5m? There needs to be an incentive for them to purchase English players.”
Posted by “Felipe Teixeira”, December 2
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