The projected effects of Brexit on the English Premier League

After the UK voted to leave the EU, we all expressed different opinions as to what would have informed the decisions of the UK natives.

However, the opinion remains not so polarized as regards the effects of Brexit on the English Premier League - the Brexit vote may have (in the near future) an effect on the famously followed and popular English Premier League.

Even though the League will not be affected in huge proportions, there are some instances that will offer some significant twists.

Additionally, although the leave vote does not mean that the UK severed links instantly with the EU, should the process go into all the stages for a successful divorce from the European Union, both the Football Association and the Premier League may find themselves in unfamiliar territories.

Under the pillars of the EU, free movement of labour outlines one of the founding aspects.

In this regards, the English Premier League is littered with foreign players who have moved to England under the facilitation of this specific window.

Additionally, the free movement of labour has made it possible for these foreign footballers to work in the UK and without any form of discrimination as regards labour.

So, the question persists – how will the popular English Premier League be affected by the Brexit outcome? How will EPL clubs navigate these unfamiliar territories in the future should the UK finally do away with the Lisbon Treaty?

The Lisbon Treaty is the founding stature for the EU.

So what happens when the UK officially quits the EU? Will these conditions of free movement as regards labour by the EU still hold water in the English Premier League?

Essentially, foreign players will have to undergo an extra and relatively strenuous process of acquiring documents so as to be eligible to play in the English Premier League.

That rigorous process will mean the acquisition of work permits – a not so enviable situation for the majority of footballers who have an eye on joining any of the English football clubs.

The work permit regulations are developed by the British Home Office in association with the Football Association - these rules are meant to be for the good of the EPL.

Theoretically speaking, when the UK formally leaves the EU, non-British players will have to undergo the process of applying for work permits.

Sadly, not all players will meet the set criteria.

However, there may be a loophole – most of the pro-Brexit camp wants the UK to still continue enjoying the tariff-free trading other EU countries but under favoured terms.

Probably, these countries may negotiate a deal that involves lessening of the immigration rules in exchange for the trade, hence putting off the work permit hurdles for the foreign players.

In such a situation, only Brussels – the seat of the EU, will formulate a mechanism to see whether the UK can continue enjoying a tariff-free model of trading even after ditching the bloc.

Should that happen, other countries within the EU and who have a sizable pool of footballers wishing to join the English Premier League may grow a mind.

Practically, these EU countries will put conditions on the UK in exchange for a tariff-free market – these conditions may be in the context of offering work permits to footballers.

Another significant effect of Brexit for the English Premier League involves the transfer of underage players.

Under Article 19 of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, the transfer of minors is prohibited.

However, under the EU rules that take precedence, several exceptions make it easier for the English Premier League clubs to make transfers of football players who are minors (under the age of 18).

These exceptions offer loopholes for football clubs to instigate transfers of the said minors.

Exactly, the exceptions are: when parent(s) acquire a new job in a different EU country and hence have to move with the kid who happens to play football: football players below the age of 18 but who reside near a border: and, transfer of minors between the age of 16 and 18 but within the EU region.

These loopholes are used by most European clubs to sign players as soon as they turn 16.

Should Brexit follow all the stages and become a reality, the signing of these underage players would become illegal.

Such a situation would put English clubs at a disadvantage in that other football clubs from the rest of the EU for instance Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Ajax etc would still be taking advantage of the loopholes within the EU laws to sign minors.

It should be noted that in this era of commercialization in football, the moneyed clubs will easily manipulate the situation to their favour – Real Madrid and Athletico Madrid have already been banned from conducting football transfers in the next two transfer windows (one year) as a punishment for contravening rules that protect underage players.

Barcelona had earlier been given a similar ban by FIFA.

Had Brexit happened before – say like some few years ago, it would mean that Manchester United will never have signed Timothy Fosu-Mensah or Adnan Januzaj given their ages at the time of signing.

Likewise, Arsenal would never have signed Cesc Fabregas and Hector Bellerin from Barcelona at such tender ages.

As it stands, more than one hundred players in the English Premier do not meet the criteria for a work permit as stipulated by the current regulations.

Even though they won’t be turned away as that would limit the number of foreign players – an act that is prohibited under the EU laws as it impinges on the free movement of labour, the situation would have been different had Brexit happened before their transfers.

Similarly, the situation would also spell doom for players from other regions who acquire nationalities in EU countries with an aim to be eligible to play in the English Premier League.

It is an open secret that some players join the lower leagues in European countries with an aim to acquire the work permits and use them as a stepping stone to other lucrative ($$$) leagues.

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