No agreement has yet been reached on the conditions under which the United Kingdom will leave the European Union, leading to uncertainty among British companies.
Despite its international profile, the Premier League is no different, especially because of its worldwide success, based on its cosmopolitan collection of players, coaches and owners. So what could Brexit mean for the Premier League?
British Pound Value:
The value of the British pound has fallen since the referendum in 2016, significantly increasing the transfer fees paid to European competitors.
Tottenham coach Mauricio Pochettino called the weak pound one of the reasons his team had not signed on to players during the season and compared the impact of Brexit to a car accident.
Football finance expert Deloitte also signaled the weakening of the pound as a contributing factor to Manchester United losing its first place in the Football Money League, falling behind Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Foreign Talent:
The former Premier League Executive, Richard Scudamore, supported the Remain campaign in 2016 to classify the EU as “incompatible” with the League’s commitment to openness.
The global appeal of competition depends on recruiting the best players, no matter where they come from, and putting an end to free movement for European players makes this task a more difficult task.
“The Premier League is essentially the hub for a constellation of star brands,” said Simon Chadwick, a professor of sports companies at Salford University, to AFP.
“Therefore, any measures taken to limit the influx of foreign talent can ultimately diminish the market position of the Premier League, thereby diminishing its competitive advantage.”
EU national actors, including many representing South American and African nations internationally but holding EU passports, must meet stricter requirements to obtain a work permit.
The current system for non-EU players takes into account the international appearance, the transfer fee, the proposed wages and the most recent match history to determine whether they receive the consent of the governing body from the association.
If these restrictions were applied across the board, the tag signatures would not be stopped. However, in the increasingly competitive transfer market, British clubs may be deprived of finding hidden gems at the bottom of the market.
Players from Chelsea, N’Golo Kante and Manchester City’s record player Riyad Mahrez, both of whom were relatively unclear before winning the Premier League for Leicester City in France, were referred to as players who were unlikely to obtain a work permit.
In 2016, the BBC calculated that 332 players in the top two levels of English football and the Scottish Premiership would not meet the criteria if the standards were applied consistently to non-EU players.
Premier League clubs will also miss the chance to sign up to European players before their 18th birthday, unless it seems unlikely that Britain will remain in the European Economic Area (EEA).
FIFA prohibits all transfers abroad for under-18s, but makes an exception to the movement within the EEA, which allows players like Cesc Fabregas and Paul Pogba to move to England as a 16-year-old.
Economic Hit and Homegrown Players:
Despite lucrative televised offerings overseas, the success of the Premier League is closely linked to the development of the UK economy.
There are already fears that domestic TV rights business has reached its peak. The broadcasters are paying 2019-2022 less for games than in the previous three-year period.
Guessing the future development of the economy is difficult, but when the fans get hit in the bag, clubs will suffer ticket sales and merchandising sales.
One potential benefit of Brexit for the English national team is that more restrictions on foreign players mean more opportunities for local talent.
Qualified players are currently responsible for around 30 percent of Premier League starts in England.
However, the Premier League argues that such restrictions would not help the English national team and instead water down the standard for English players to play weekly.
“There is no indication that stronger odds than they now exist would have a positive impact on national teams,” the league said in November.
