Platini leads revolution over transfers
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Michel Platini leads revolution over "youth trafficking" transfers
Premier League clubs could be prevented from buying up football's most talented youngsters under a tough blueprint drawn up by the six most popular team sports in Europe.
Uefa president Michel Platini last night handed over a confidential document to European affairs ministers in Brest, calling on the EU to endorse self-regulation, including a ban on under-18 transfers, a quota for foreign players and a crackdown on financial mismanagement.
The far-reaching document, the culmination of months of debate over restriction of trade and regarded as pivotal in the fight against bureaucracy, could dramatically change the landscape of sport.
It would outlaw recent transfers such as that of Aaron Ramsey, 17, to Arsenal from Cardiff and John Bostock, 16, from Crystal Palace to Spurs, plus cases like Theo Walcott's move from Southampton to Arsenal.
"What is the point of clubs training players if they are leaving younger and younger?" a Uefa source said. "The clubs who develop properly will simply stop doing so. We are hopeful the EU will recognise this."
Platini wants players to sign their first professional contract with clubs that develop them to stop the cream of youth talent abandoning their roots. His stance was backed by Germany's Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, head of the newly formed European Club Association, which has replaced G14 as the voice of the clubs.
He says players such as Cesc Fabregas, who moved to Arsenal from Barcelona aged 16, must be stopped from switching to overseas clubs for minimal fees. "We have to protect these players and this is a fruitful way to avoid players like Fabregas moving for nothing to England," said Rummenigge.
Uefa have described teenage talent moving as "youth trafficking" and Rummenigge added: "We at Bayern had the best player at the last under-17 world championship, Toni Kroos, and there were 20-odd scouts from England sitting there. It is not good and something must be done."
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not to mention cesc and pique.
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At least Platini is reasonable and objectional. Not like some brainless guy talking about "modern day slavery".
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platini ftw
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Originally posted by Gackt247:
At least Platini is reasonable and objectional. Not like some brainless guy talking about "modern day slavery".
I believe the term is 'objective'.
Anyway, I gotta agree with Platini on this one. It kinda wastes the effort of smaller clubs trying to develop their youth base if bigger clubs were to simply hire those players away later on.
And really, the EPL is looking more and more like the Foreign Premier League. Perhaps they really ought to look placing a limit of non-British players that can be on the field at any one time.
Note that I said 'British' and not 'English'. It'll be a major disadvantage to EPL clubs if Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland players are counted as foreign talent.
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Tsk.. basket.. si fudgie.. my england beri de powderful la.