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With the FA's introduction of homegrown player quotas to the WSL, the women's game will now face the same internal referendum on foreign players that the men's game has been dealing with for years. The biggest challenge going forward: #Brexit
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Prior to Brexit, players with EU or EEA (European Economic Area) citizenship had the freedom to live and work in the UK without restriction. This meant a European player could transfer to an English club without being subject to immigration criteria (Governing Body Endorsement)
The UK's separation from these rights granted in the TFEU mean that European players may no longer automatically qualify to work (i.e. play matches) in the UK - Thus restricting foreign players from the Premier League and WSL
By instituting homegrown player quotas in the WSL, the FA will be further restricting (as has already been done in the Premier League) foreign players from transferring into the league: Homegrown quotas = less roster spots for non-homegrown players and more for British players
A player can be foreign and homegrown such as Hector Bellerin (because of his U-21 academy training), but most PL and WSL players are from the UK. While the FA believes increased homegrown player quotas may improve the English national team, this may not be the case
Various research indicates that exposure to foreign football tactics and styles, rather than isolation from them, is beneficial to national team performance. @KuperSimon and @sszy's concept of 'European knowledge networks' in "Soccernomics" is one example
As a result, the combined forces of Brexit's immigration constraints on incoming European transfers and the implementation of homegrown player quotas have the potential to make the Premier League and WSL less European and more British
Perhaps Brexit and football are not as politically or socially distant as we may have imagined. For more, see my research titled "Straight Red: Brexit's Ramifications on the future of English Football" which will be available later this month
Curious to hear your insights on how homegrown player quotas and Brexit may affect the women's game @FootballLaw @nickdemarco_ @david_conn
