A leading sports immigration lawyer "warned some European players may no longer be able to play in the Premier League if Britain votes to leave the European Union next week," according to Lia Hervey of SKY SPORTS. Currently players from countries within the EU "can work in Britain without a work permit but that could change if 'Leave' prevails in the Referendum on June 23, although it is likely to be several years before the effects are felt." Last season 432 European players "were registered to play in the Premier League." Those players "are unlikely to have to leave but should the vote go against 'Remain' new players would not have an automatic right to live and work" in the U.K. The Home Office "could roll out current immigration rules for non-EU players for Europeans" under which a player from a top-10 nation only has to have played in 30% of his games in the two years prior to the date of application to be granted a work permit. The Bosman Rule, where a player can leave his club for free at the end of his contract, "would not change as the rule is encapsulated under FIFA and domestic rules and not reliant on European law." Sports immigration lawyer Maria Patsalos said, "A good example at the moment is Dimitri Payet and N'Golo Kante. ... They have not been playing for their French national sides regularly at all. They would not have been given the opportunity to play in the Premier League if we are talking in three or four years' time. It would be a massive loss. ... There could be a catastrophic effect. We don't know for sure." Matchroom Sport Chair Barry Hearn said, "We won't lose anything from the top end at all as we pay the most money. Simply put, what we will potentially lose is middle range cheaper options not being able to come in so easily which I think is a good thing as it gives our own kids a chance to fulfill their dreams." Patsalos added that other areas which may suffer from a "Leave" vote next Thursday "could be the lower leagues of some smaller sports" (SKY SPORTS, 6/16).
