As the FA and the Premier League "get set for what will likely be contentious negotiations over the post-Brexit work permit regulations," they will be guided by, and will prioritize, "their own stakeholders’ interests, which are likely to clash," according to Cohen & Couse of the London INDEPENDENT. The post-Brexit work permit regulations "will have a dramatic impact" on English football (on both domestic and int'l stages) as well as the "wider global football landscape." It is "impossible to fully understand English football’s work permit regulations without first understanding the natural conflict" that exists between the FA and EPL. The FA is "primarily focused on ensuring England’s success" at the int'l level, and "therefore, it has a vested interest in ensuring that English players have the opportunity to develop and thrive" in the EPL. Premier League clubs, on the other hand, "are focused on building the strongest possible squads, so as to succeed in this fiercely competitive (and financially lucrative league), regardless of nationality." The FA will "almost certainly attempt to use Brexit to create more opportunities for English players" by restricting opportunities for "all but the best" EU and European Economic Area footballers seeking to play in England. This will "very likely be met with opposition by Premier League clubs," which "naturally wish to be able to cast the widest possible net for which to capture talented players." Currently, the Home Office requires non-EU/EEA footballers to receive a governing body endorsement from the FA before applying for a visa, or "work permit." So, when the FA's "work permit criteria" is mentioned, "what is really being discussed is the GBE criteria." Execs from both the FA and Premier League clubs "have publicly asked the Government for very different football-specific concessions to help achieve their very different goals." However, unless footballers are classified as members of a much broader "highly-skilled worker" category, it is "difficult to envision a realistic scenario in which there will be a blanket exemption to post-Brexit immigration policies for EU footballers" (
INDEPENDENT, 4/18).
