Italy set for foreigner limit (1 Viewer)

Zlatan

Senior Member
Jun 9, 2003
23,049
#1
Italy set for foreigner limit
Thursday 1 July, 2004

Foreigner restrictions may be reintroduced into Italian football after the Azzurri’s disastrous Euro 2004 campaign.

CONI – the Italian Olympic Committee – are planning to introduce new legislation that would limit the number of overseas players taking part in all Italian team sports.

Under the proposal, Italian clubs must have no more than nine ‘stranieri’ in a squad of 18 on match days from 2006.

"We have no other choice in order to look after the Italian youngsters who want to break into sport," stated CONI chief Gianni Petrucci.

"It is a necessary and an urgent measure. We will fight any club and their lawyers who try to obstruct the move."

Italian football has had foreigner restrictions in place in the past but they were banned in the 1990s due to European law.

However, CONI are confident that they could be successful in getting a limit on non-Italians recognised.

CONI hope that such an idea would help the Italian national side do better in major tournaments after the failures of 2002 and 2004.

They feel that the high number of foreign players in football, and basketball, are hindering the emergence of young Italian athletes.
 

Buy on AliExpress.com
Jul 12, 2002
5,666
#3
This is not only illegal, but wrong. This Italian xenophobia is so aggrivating. Why is it that failure in an international competition is the fault of foreigners and not Italians?
 
OP

Zlatan

Senior Member
Jun 9, 2003
23,049
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread Starter #4
    Well, we dont have that many foreigners as other clubs. It would probably affect Inter most.
     
    Sep 14, 2003
    5,800
    #6
    ++ [ originally posted by Ian ] ++
    This is not only illegal, but wrong. This Italian xenophobia is so aggrivating. Why is it that failure in an international competition is the fault of foreigners and not Italians?
    Bullsh*t. What is so wrong about wanting to protect our sportsmen's future? And don't give me this 'if they're good enough, they'll find a way crap'. Foreign players are welcome, as long as they are as good or better than the Italian players.
     

    swag

    L'autista
    Administrator
    Sep 23, 2003
    83,368
    #7
    Great. Italy doesn't lose a game in Euro 2004, and because of Trap's stupid strategies the whole of Serie A may have to be altered.

    Thanks, Trap. It was bad enough that you blew a golden opportunity this year.
     

    Elnur_E65

    Senior Member
    Feb 21, 2004
    10,848
    #8
    I would support such an initiative. But EU will not, because it is in direct violation with the European Labor Legislation.

    But if the Italians want to develop their players- I don't see anything wrong with that. To a certain limit of course.
     

    River

    Senior Member
    Jun 15, 2004
    2,261
    #9
    ++ [ originally posted by Ian ] ++
    This is not only illegal, but wrong. This Italian xenophobia is so aggrivating. Why is it that failure in an international competition is the fault of foreigners and not Italians?
    Whats wrong with it?

    To many foreigners in a league will result in less young italian players getting to develop. Why work up the youth when you can purchase a foreign player who is already developed.

    Rulings like this ensure the future success of not only the national team but also the Italian league they way we know it.
     
    Jul 12, 2002
    5,666
    #10
    ++ [ originally posted by Holdon ] ++
    Bullsh*t. What is so wrong about wanting to protect our sportsmen's future? And don't give me this 'if they're good enough, they'll find a way crap'. Foreign players are welcome, as long as they are as good or better than the Italian players.
    What's so wrong about it? It' discriminatory. Serie A is one of the permier football leagues in the world and it also pays some of the highest wages in the world. Players from outside Italy deserve the same chance to play in the competition as Italians do.
     

    River

    Senior Member
    Jun 15, 2004
    2,261
    #11
    Yes they do. And they have the same chance. Its not like they are being banned.

    9 foreigners in a team of 18. Thats perfectly normal. What do you want a full squad foreigners playing in the 'Italian' league. It wouldnt even be the Italian league anymore. The Italian game would die.

    And dont give me 'Its discriminatory'. No it isnt. All foreigners banned from competing would be discriminatory.

    Serie A is one of the permier football leagues in the world and it also pays some of the highest wages in the world.
    Money isnt the issue. And if it was jsut because they arent picked for the squad dosent mean they arent still talking their wages.

    I really dont get all this free world thinking. Its rediculous.

    And I dont mean to come of as anti-foreigner on this forum all the time. You guys just give me no choice. I have nothing against foreigners.
     

    Elnur_E65

    Senior Member
    Feb 21, 2004
    10,848
    #12
    River, there is nothing wrong with being protectionist. It is very normal and applicable to every single country in the world (except for UAE probably). Nations try to protect their industries from foreign imports, be it chicken wings and tomatos or cars and steel. Too many foreign players in an Italian football team depreciates the quality of Italian footballers.

    I totally agree with the way you view this issue.
     
    Sep 14, 2003
    5,800
    #13
    ++ [ originally posted by Ian ] ++


    Players from outside Italy deserve the same chance to play in the competition as Italians do.
    Yes, but I fear many of the foriegners aren't any better than some young Italians who deserve a chance.
     

    BigIzz

    Senior Member
    Jul 12, 2002
    1,088
    #14
    On the list of reasons that the Italian national team has done poorly of late, this would be around 800th. It isn't as if all the players on the Azzuri aren't stars and don't play all the time and it isn't as if Italy do not have a tremendous player pool to draw from. What is the worst case scenario- a very good Italian player is forced to play in Spain or England because there aren't enough spots in Serie A? If that does happen, is it even bad?
     

    River

    Senior Member
    Jun 15, 2004
    2,261
    #15
    No thats not the worst case at all.

    Worst case is a very good potential dosent make it to being a very good player because he isnt given the chance and dosent have the experience.

    The Azzurri Under21s are the best under21 squad in Europe. They are also the most successful. How many of those players actually make it into the big time?
     

    BigIzz

    Senior Member
    Jul 12, 2002
    1,088
    #16
    I'm sure most of those players will make it. Don't you think even if they can't find a spot in Serie A, they can't find a team in the Premiership or La Ligua or some other top league? Even if they can't, they can surely find a team in Serie B where if they work hard enough, they can break into the big time.

    I would agrue that foreigners in Serie A make the Italian players much stronger because players are there more because of their merit then their nationality. The worst that that could happen for the Azzuri would be for Serie A to be all Italian. In Serie A, the Italian players get to play against Czechs, French, Germans, Brazilians, etc., not just against other Italians.

    It's not as if Italians are having a hard time finding jobs in Serie A and the Azzuri is having trouble fielding a team without including players in lower divisions or on bad teams benches.
     
    Jul 12, 2002
    5,666
    #18
    ++ [ originally posted by River ] ++
    Yes they do. And they have the same chance. Its not like they are being banned.

    9 foreigners in a team of 18. Thats perfectly normal. What do you want a full squad foreigners playing in the 'Italian' league. It wouldnt even be the Italian league anymore. The Italian game would die.

    And dont give me 'Its discriminatory'. No it isnt. All foreigners banned from competing would be discriminatory.
    Maybe you need some simple statistical reasoning to understand this, but if you limit the number of foreigners to a team, then it makes it harder for foreigners to get in. I don't want a full squad of foreigners, I want everyone to have a fair chance to play. By making a requirement of a certian number of Italian players, that favours Italians.

    ++ [ originally posted by River ] ++
    Money isnt the issue. And if it was jsut because they arent picked for the squad dosent mean they arent still talking their wages.

    I really dont get all this free world thinking. Its rediculous.
    Yeah, I guess all this "free world thinking" is pretty ridiculous, I mean why would we want to have a fair and equitable league structure...:irritate:
     

    Respaul

    Senior Member
    Jul 14, 2002
    4,734
    #19
    Your argument is indeed the just and right one Ian... however from a personal point i am completely in favour of restrictions on foreigners in all leagues... i dont agree with seperating eu and non eu players though.

    Its not only italy, both england and spain have been discussing this for a while as well plus several high ranking members of uefa have also suggested a linit of late.

    Now whether its morally just or not to me isnt the issue.
    Having lived in both england and italy i know from experience the majority of people of those countries would also like to see a limit.

    To me it does interfere with the progress of our national teams and also stops the big clubs buying and making use of our own young talents (and youth camps etc) as it is far easier to jus bring in a talented foreigner than nurture our own youngsters and bring them through.

    Now when i watch the epl i want to see a lot of english players, i want to see the people that will represent my country, i want to see the future of my national team... unfortunately that is no longer the case

    The same goes for when i watch serie a... and again its not the case....

    why go to the effort of bringing younsters through when you can jus get a ready trained young foreign talent or bring in an aging star... so many of our young players that would without so many foreigners get a chance to play for the likes of manu , dial ,chelsea etc and getting experience at the highest level in european competition etc they being overlooked and end up playing in bottom of the league or lower division fodder and so never really getting the chance to show their worth and thus never getting a look in at the national team.

    My opinion may not be morally right but as an englishman and a patriot to me it is right and is an opinion shared by every native english football fan i know... and italian fan i know as well

    Sorry, but my country comes first
     

    River

    Senior Member
    Jun 15, 2004
    2,261
    #20
    ++ [ originally posted by Ian ] ++


    Maybe you need some simple statistical reasoning to understand this, but if you limit the number of foreigners to a team, then it makes it harder for foreigners to get in. I don't want a full squad of foreigners, I want everyone to have a fair chance to play. By making a requirement of a certian number of Italian players, that favours Italians.

    I didnt say it wasnt harder. I said it wasnt discrimination. You use the word to easily.

    And Shadowfax said what i was trying to say, only he said it better:D

    I would love the ruling in England. As a Chelsea fan it used to really annoy me how Chelsea had became the foreign English team. English players were not coming up through the ranks.

    It may be ok for Italy, I dont know alot about the Italian league. But certainly in England i think its a problem, there isnt enough young players coming through. Although it is improving, it certainly has been a way of in the past.

    I mean Owen and Rooney is basically the only good english youth players to come in since the ManUnited 5.

    Sacrifice the future of a nations football to ensure they are not 'discriminating'? Its silly.

    Its the Italian league, its the Italian league rules. The English league, the English league rules. Live with them or go somewhere else.
     

    Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)