CFA to restrict foreign players on the pitch
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, January 16, 2017
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Chinese Super League spending to be curbed by new CFA regulations. |
The Chinese Super League sides, in the news for paying top dollars to rope in big-name star players from Europe and Latin America, may have to readjust their strategies after a report claimed that the domestic governing body had issued circulars, limiting teams to three foreign players for a match.
The new regulations will greatly affect Shanghai clubs, which have been very active in the January transfer market.
The report in Titan Sports yesterday claimed that the Chinese Football Association had already informed the clubs about the new regulations.
They have also been told to include at least two under-23 Chinese players in the 18-player list for matches with one of them in the starting line-up.
Until last season, teams were allowed to start four foreign players — with one from Asia — for a match. Under the new rules, they can only play three foreign players of any nationality.
The changes mean that coaches, who have more than three high-profile foreign players in their squad, will have a hard choice in deciding their lineup.
Andre Villas-Boas’ Shanghai SIPG hit the global headlines when it bought Chelsea’s star player Oscar for a CSL record 60 million euros (US$62.44) early this month. The big-spending club has also signed Uzbekistan international Odil Ahmedov.
Portuguese international Ricardo Carvalho was also seen training with the club in Qatar this month.
Oscar was expected to partner Brazilian compatriots Hulk and Elkeson in the starting 11, but the new rules mean Villas-Boas will have to rethink his strategy for the season, which is just two months away.
To have Hulk, Elkeson, Ahnedov or even Oscar excluded from the sheets would be an absolute waste.
Shanghai’s other outfit, Greenland Shenhua, paid Boca Juniors US$11 million for Argentine striker Carlos Albert Tevez, who will be joining the team on January 19 for winter trainings in Japan. Nigeria’s John Obi Mikel is the latest new comer to CSL, who will reportedly earn 140,000 pounds a week with Tianjin Teda.
The CFA is expected to discuss — and approve — the new regulations when it meets in Wuhan, Hubei Province, tomorrow and on Wednesday. Sources suggest that the latest round of regulations is CFA’s attempt to protect the national players amid fears that they would be sidelined as clubs throw astonishing amount of money for foreign players.
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