With J Hutcherson -- Leave it to the Premier League for potentially changing the face of European soccer. If their adoption of the "home-grown rule" becomes the norm across Europe, this could be the last year we see the Champions League as a de facto World All-Star League. Well, at least with so many of the World's elite concentrated among a small group of clubs.
Yes, a similar rule is already in play for UEFA competitions, but it doesn't stop clubs from having a deep supply of talent to draw from. Milan getting press for potentially opting against including Ronaldino in their Champions League roster only to put him on their bench is an example. Just because a team is spending on players is no guarantee they play them. It does guarantee those players won't be playing against them.
Whether or not this is really good for the game likely depends on your own belief in clubs developing players that spend the heart of their careers with that club along with the expected jingoism. It's that second part that shouldn't get downplayed in the push for domestic leagues for domestic players.
FIFA's primary motivation remains the quality of National Teams. The thinking is the stronger the domestic players in their own domestic league, the stronger the National Team. It's a point, but it's also a bit past it's sell-by date for the major leagues of Europe. Enter the tweak on the rule that a player counts as home-grown if they spent their early years with an English club. Sign them young, and there's no problem in theory. In practice, it's the issue currently keeping Chelsea out of the transfer market.
It's also a power play in part, reminding the would-be super leagues that there are bigger points in play and that they might not be as influential as they want to believe. Few clubs turned global businesses would vote for limits of any kind, much less one that could quickly leave them at a competitive disadvantage.
There's also the carry-on. Create a market for domestic players at the highest level and you increase their value. In the case of the Premier League, the upper tier of English players are already there. At the same time, it limits jobs for foreign players. That should work to push cost along with opportunity down.
How much of the English game's embrace of the 'home-grown rule' is down to misgivings over clubs simply spending as much as they want on a squad is a very good question. The rise of Manchester City is yet another demonstration in what money can do. If enough teams follow suit, the last bit of facade that any of these clubs are local is washed away.
Again, this comes down to control. UEFA makes the big point in limited non-domestic players and now the Premier League follows suit. The enthusiasm from the clubs likely holds as long as they remain in title contention.
Comments, questions, solutions to problems that have yet to present themselves. Please, tell me all about it.
