In the build up to the World Cup, Cesare Prandelli, head coach of the Italian National Team has raised concerns regarding the sales of key Italian players to foreign markets. “We must not abandon our youth, and we’re not going to abandon them. They are struggling and we need to work out why,” he said. Cesare Prandelli. But how influential is foreign player migration on domestic leagues and national teams?
With the most recent group of Italian internationals moving abroad, such as Emanuele Giaccherini, Marco Verratti, Thiago Motta and Daniel Pablo Osvaldo, Prandelli worries the invasion of foreign names is hindering the development of younger Italian players, which could have serious problems on the future of the Italian national team.
In Italy, there is a long history of playing older, experienced players instead of giving the youth a chance. A clear example of this is the fact that in the recent U-21 European championship, 17 of the 24 players Italy selected played on Serie B (second division) squads.
Prandelli noted in his most recent press conference “It was thought that the presence of many foreigners would stimulate our young lads, but we’ve seen that things have not gone that way,” Prandelli said at a press conference. “We need to reflect on this.
“We need to study and plan. If I were a club president, I would think about working with youngsters and bringing them through into the first team, rounding things off with foreign players, but only good foreign players.
“We must not abandon our youth, and we’re not going to abandon them, but we’ve also got to see the reality. They are struggling and we need to work out why. They’re not getting regular games in the league and they are not finding any continuity.”
This led me to think about how key player migration is to club competition. Is it make or break for a teams season? Does it impact the national teams? Surely leagues with more money can afford the foreign talent? Can Italy continue “stimulating the younger lads” even though the foreign talent they are bringing in is not top class?
Over the last twenty years the number of foreign players in the European leagues were increased in part due to changes in the regulations allowing more foreign players in the teams but most notably, as a result of the increased purchasing power of certain leagues. Increased foreign player migration has led to: First, increased disparity of teams playing in European competitions, as the richer clubs are able to send scouts all across the globe to discover some of the world’s best unknown players. Second, because gifted footballers across all continents of the world are able to play against the world’s best teams on a week to week basis, the standard of play by national teams outside of Europe is increasing as a result. It is a matter of time that either an Asian or African team wins the World Cup.
Foreigners made up 38.9 percent of the 2,744 players in the five biggest European leagues in the 2006/07 seasons. The figures were compiled by researchers studying the 98 teams in the five main European leagues (Bundesliga, the Spanish league, the French league, the Serie A and the Premier League).[1] (Raffaele Poli, a researcher at the University of Neuchatel in Switzerland). The five leagues averaged just under a quarter – or 24.3 percent – of homegrown players on rosters. The Premier League has the highest number of foreign players – 55.5 percent. Brazilians make up the largest group of foreign players in the five leagues. [2]
To some the presence of foreign players has brought about excitement for the prospect of teams being able to market their clubs all over the world and most importantly excitement for their fan base. The national pride of the past has vanished due to the fact that football has become more entertaining and more competitive to watch. On the other hand, many argue that have too many foreign talents limits the growth of home-grown, and furthermore creates a complete divide in the competitiveness of the league and weakens the national team. The arguments for and against foreign players have been protested in the media for decades, without much action ever taken. In another perspective, the increasing wealth of the top European leagues, boosted by television revenues and corporate sponsorships, has attracted in the best players from all over the world.[3]
Other factors that have contributed to the movement of players, is players are simply influenced by colonial, cultural and linguistic linkages. Thus, many players from Senegal, Togo, Cameroon and Tunisia play in France; while many South Americans especially Argentinians play in Spain.
The majority of foreigners emanate from other European countries, followed some way behind by South America. In part this reflects the legal issues such as work permit restrictions and the popularity of soccer in certain parts of the world. In Italy, there has been an attempt through regulations imposed by the FIGC (the governing body) to limit the number of foreign players that can be signed each season by a team. There are sanctions allowing only two non-EU players to join a club each year but clubs are constantly devising strategies to overcome these[4]
% of Italian Players in Serie A Team: 2012
TEAM | Foreign | Italian | % Italian | Position |
Atalanta |
6 |
26 |
77 |
Promoted |
Bologna |
13 |
31 |
61 |
16th |
Cagliari |
8 |
23 |
65 |
14th |
Catania |
15 |
29 |
48 |
13th |
Cesena |
14 |
26 |
46 |
15th |
Cheviot |
15 |
30 |
50 |
11th |
Fiorentina |
13 |
27 |
52 |
9th |
Genoa |
16 |
26 |
38 |
10th |
Inter |
19 |
32 |
41 |
2nd |
Juventus |
9 |
30 |
70 |
7th |
Lazio |
19 |
33 |
58 |
5th |
Lecce |
11 |
30 |
63 |
17th |
Milan |
11 |
27 |
59 |
1st |
Napoli |
15 |
27 |
45 |
3rd |
Novara |
10 |
29 |
66 |
Promoted |
Palermo |
17 |
26 |
35 |
8th |
Parma |
10 |
28 |
64 |
12th |
Roma |
13 |
27 |
52 |
6th |
Siena |
5 |
30 |
83 |
Promoted |
Udinese |
20 |
31 |
30 |
4th |
Globalisation is indeed a chief influence in the football industry with the best of the best of all African and South American talent trying their luck in Europe. With the demise of the 6+5 rule (each club having to field 6 players eligible to play for the national team of the country of the club[5]) that UEFA were hoping to instigate in 2012, it is nearly impossible to not see a further expansion in globalization. Furthermore is it possible to see in the future a team winning the champions league with ten home grown players on their side? It is literally impossible to answer as there are so many variables to cover.
In an ever-expanding globalised world, surely there will always be some parallel amongst ‘success’ and the number of recruited foreign players on your team[6]? Clearly, if there was not teams would not rely on foreign players today? Therefore this promotes the subject: which countries export the most players[7]?
Indisputably, between clubs, the Champions League embodies the acme of soccer glory. Thus, if the number of foreign footballers recorded from a champions league winning side each year one would finally see the true difference between achievement and globalization, if there is one?[8] Post 1997, the globalisation of football became much easier to notice thanks to clubs like “Real Madrid and Manchester United of ’98 and ’99 respectively, with both 7 imported players starting in their winning teams”[9]. The data reveals a 194.4 percent rise in the number of foreign competitors in Champion League winning sides in the nineties for the past 30 years . This is a strong indication that globalisation has had, and is continuing to have, an extremely significant influence on professional soccer squads. Inter (Italy) had no Italian players starting in the Champions league final against Bayern Munich in 2010. Nevertheless, the development of globalisation is very apparent. “Even in one decade (80s-90s), there was a 76.67% increase in the number of foreign players in winning team.”[10]
An uneven fiscal landscape has also played its part in making certain leagues more competitive as the costs to acquire and hire a player are dramatically different. In Italy were the all-in tax rate stands at over 55% and soccer teams also have to pay an employment tax on the cost of labor. Since agents and players focus on the net after tax income to the player the consequences have a significant impact on a club’s income statement:
England | Spain | Italy | |
Net after tax salary |
2 mln |
2 mln |
2 mln |
Tax rate |
35% |
40% |
55% |
Gross Salary |
3.1 mln |
3.3 mln |
3.6 mln |
If the fiscal impact is applied to club rosters of 30 players at an average of 2 million the ability of a club to compete on salary is not financially viable. Inevitably certain leagues face another hurdle to become or stay competitive.
The advent of globalization and increased communication technology has created important opportunity for the leading soccer clubs to broaden their fan base and as a result capture higher revenues. The Club’s success is predicated on the support of the national league and the Premier League has demonstrated to be the most forward thinking with the development of youth academies and marketing worldwide. Youth will ultimately result in better cost efficiency for teams and larger local fanbases. The Italian league has failed to capitalize on this opportunity and is at risk of not being able to catch up because the ability of Italian teams to pursue the best talent will be limited in large past due to the lower economic benefit they capture in the globalization process. Italian teams remain increasingly dependent on the significant capital contribution of their wealthy benefactors. International player migration is driven in part by certain linguistic and cultural affinity, but mostly because of economics. The significant talent that is being developed in Africa, Asia or Latin America will be increasingly attracted by those leagues that can compensate the top players and most importantly also provide them the opportunity to create a personal brand. Serie A will need to address its less attractive financial and economic business environment in order to attract top players and close the gap with the other leagues. Serie A will need to address its less attractive financial and economic business environment in order to attract top players and close the gap with the other leagues. So as Italy is no longer attracting the likes of Ronaldo, Kaka, Edgar Davids, Maradonna and Platini, shouldn’t they be focusing on the future of their own talent?
Europe’s top 10 earners |
Italy’s top 10 earners | ||
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (PSG) |
€14m | Daniele De Rossi (Roma) | €6.5m |
Radamel Falcao (Monaco) | €14m | Gonzalo Higuain (Napoli) | €5.5m |
Lionel Messi (Barcelona) | €13m | Diego Milito (Inter) | €5m |
Thiago Silva (PSG) | €12m | Esteban Cambiasso (Inter) | €4.5m |
Eden Hazard (Chelsea) | €11.4m | Carlos Tevez (Juventus) | €4.5m |
Wayne Rooney (Man Utd) | €11.2m | Francesco Totti (Roma) | €4.5m |
Robin van Persie (Man Utd) | €11.2m | Mario Gomez (Fiorentina) | €4.25m |
Yaya Toure (Man City) | €11.2m | Marco Borriello (Roma) |
€4m |
Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) | €11m | Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus) | €4m |
Fernando Torres (Chelsea) |
€10.8m | Mario Balotelli (Milan) | €4m |
Ricardo Kaka (Milan) | €4m | ||
Philippe Mexes (Milan) | €4m |
[1] Raffaele Poli “Africans’ Status in the European Football Players’ Labour Market” Soccer and Scoiety, 2006
[2] Raffaele Poli “Africans’ Status in the European Football Players’ Labour Market” Soccer and Scoiety, 2006
[3] Alistair Endesbury. (2008). Football restrictions on overseas players. Available: http://www.idebate.org/discussion/view_topic.php?id=1937&forum_id=1. Last accessed 22nd February 2012.
[4] David Storey “Football, place and migration: foreign footballers in the FA Premier League”, Geography International Journal, Summer 2011
[5] http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/federation/01/03/27/09/inea_media_release_e.pdf
[6] Deloitte, A. (2011). Deloitte Football Money League. Available: http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_GB/uk/industries/sportsbusinessgroup/sports/football/deloitte-football-money-league-2011/1cf28c129dffd210VgnVCM2000001b56f00aRCRD.htm. Last accessed 26th September 2011
[7] Hitchings, A . (2010). The Globalisation of Soccer. Available: http://soccereconomics.com/categories/3390. Last accessed 17th August 2011
[8] Hitchings, A . (2010). The Globalisation of Soccer. Available: http://soccereconomics.com/categories/3390. Last accessed 17th August 2011
[9] Deloitte, A. (2011). Deloitte Football Money League. Available: http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_GB/uk/industries/sportsbusinessgroup/sports/football/deloitte-football-money-league-2011/1cf28c129dffd210VgnVCM2000001b56f00aRCRD.htm. Last accessed 26th September 2011
[10] Hitchings, A . (2010). The Globalisation of Soccer. Available: http://soccereconomics.com/categories/3390. Last accessed 17th August 2011
[11] Hitchings, A . (2010). The Globalisation of Soccer. Available: http://soccereconomics.com/categories/3390. Last accessed 17th August 2011
[12]Hitchings, A . (2010). The Globalisation of Soccer. Available: http://soccereconomics.com/categories/3390. Last accessed 17th August 2011
This topic reminds me of a similar controversial topic in America with predominately African American males with athletic scholarships and exploiting hopes of making it into college.
Alessandro: This is a really nicely detailed post; very interesting! I sent the link out via twitter and it incited some interesting commentary from a few people, including an author who shared a link to a piece that tackles similar issues in English football: http://rowzfootball.wordpress.com/2013/05/16/has-the-growing-proportion-of-foreign-players-in-the-premier-league-damaged-the-england-team-the-case-for-the-defence/
Here’s a few bits of the twitter conversation if you are interested:
https://twitter.com/_shireenahmed_/status/378668524996001792
https://twitter.com/MichaelHattem/status/378679715529519104
You might also want to check out the page done by earlier students in the class on “Players and Migration” here on the blog:
http://sites.duke.edu/wcwp/research-projects/players-and-migration/
I’m glad that you were able to draw on Poli’s work as well, which is essential here. Let’s continue the discussion about this topic!