UEFA approve home-grown quota

(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-04-25 14:18

Europe's top clubs will have to start including home-grown players in their squads for European club competitions from the 2006-07 season following a unanimous vote by the UEFA congress on Thursday.

The new rules will apply only to clubs playing in Champions League and UEFA Cup matches but UEFA hopes the policy will be introduced at domestic level in the near future.

From the start of the 2006-07 season clubs must include four home-grown players in their 25-man squads with the figure rising to six in 2007-08 and eight in 2008-09.

UEFA defines home-grown players as those who have been trained by their clubs or by another club or national academy in the same country for at least three years between the ages of 15 and 21.

Keeping in line with European Union law, the nationality of the players is immaterial.

UEFA vice-president Per Ravn Omdal, presenting the declaration to the congress, said: "This is of fundamental importance to the future of football.

"You may think that four out of 25 is a low number and it is but we want a limited and moderate step here so that the clubs can keep in line with our new rule by 2008-09."

The congress also agreed to the wording of a six-point declaration on the issue which stresses the importance of football as a sporting context.

"UEFA recognises that finance plays an important part in football today but football should not be a mere financial contest," the declaration said.

"It should above all be a sporting contest. This sporting element means that every club must accept some responsibility for training and not rely solely on acquiring those players who were trained by others."

Several leading clubs have previously voiced their opposition to the scheme, although it was originally thought that the minimum would be eight players.

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