Richards - PL hurts England

Chairman believes influx of foriegn stars hurting national side

Last updated: 10th June 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Richards - PL hurts England

Richards: Controversial comments

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Premier League chairman Sir David Richards has admitted that the competition 'hurts' the England team.

Richards believes the academy system has not worked as it is 'an easy thing' to go out and buy foreign imports.

But his views could put him on a collision course with Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore, who claims England's failure to qualify for Euro 2008 had nothing to do with the influx of overseas stars.

England-qualified players made up 34 per cent of clubs' starting line-ups last season and Scudamore has rejected any measures to impose a quota on foreign players in the English game.

But speaking at the Third Dubai International Sports Conference, held in the United Arab Emirates principality at the end of May, Richards said in an recording obtained by The Guardian: "Does the Premier League hurt the national side? I think the answer to that has got to be yes.

Easy thing

"We've been a bit lazy in the Premier League over the years. We created a system of academies and every club spends about £3million a year developing young players. But it hasn't worked, because the availability for us to go out and buy the best stars is an easy thing.

"Anybody who comes into the league needs to stay in it, so needs to buy the best stars. We pick kids up at eight years old, we send them to the academy, then at 16 we make them a student, then at 18 we say they haven't made it."

Richards even suggested the Premier League had cost former England boss Steve McClaren his job last year.

"Steve will tell you that he has to have the best players available and the Premier League has hurt him," Richards said.

"In fact, I would probably go as far as to say the Premier League has probably cost him his job. Because what we've done, we've actually bought all these foreign players in."

Fixture congestion

Richards also believes fixture congestion is a problem because the Premier League was originally intended to be eventually reduced to an 18-club competition when it was formed in 1992.

He added: "The 20 shareholders said, 'No, we ain't voting to go down to 18'. So fixture congestion is a real problem."

Asked later whether he now stood by his comments, Richards claimed what he had said was not quite what he meant.

The Premier League responded by saying: "These comments do not represent the collective view of the Premier League."

Comments (15)

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Luke Stami (Newcastle United fan) says...

Surely if all the worlds greatest players are playing in the EPL, the players coming out of England should be of that class, as thats the level of play they are used to

Posted 09:18 11th June 2008

Ivor Thomas (Manchester United fan) says...

It ia a little bit of both really. While it is true that the percentage of english players plying there trade in the premiership is not high compared to other leagues. It is also a fact that English players dont play abroad either. Look at Colin Kazim-Richards for instance left relegated Sheffield united to go to Fenerbache - the best decision he ever made! Englishmen somehow dont travel well you cant count the few that play and have played abroad and because of that we dont have the depth of players at least playing top football in Spain, France or Italy

Posted 09:12 11th June 2008

Aaron Lawrence (Aston Villa fan) says...

I am fed up of this talk of the Premier League damaging Englands performances in major competitions. Ultimately the England team now for many years has been very strong and made up of talented footballers who may countries would be proud to have represent them. Even the youth coming through into the England team is of a high calibre. Too quick are the English press and public quick to try and blame individuals and factors for the failure of the England team. We seem to conveniently forget that there are also other great nations out there competing against us who feel that they are also underperforming and do not enjoy the success they deserve. For some reason we have the mentality that England have a god given right to win every tournament we enter. When we do not we are quick to find a scapegoat, e.g. David Beckham. We have forgotten the optimism that we had not so many years ago going to the world cup and into the qualifications for the euros. The Premier League has for many years been one of if not the greatest leagues in the world. Yes the league is a showcase for great talent from around the world, but many of the Premiership teams also have good academy systems and invest heavily in the grass roots of football. Many of this investment is possible due to revenues raised from marketing abroad made possible by the diverse mix of players clubs have. Ultimately for English clubs the cream will rise to the top, and as the England team set up have stated we may have fewer players to choose from for selection but those available are of a high quality for any international side. Hopefully the football big wigs will come to their senses and not get involved where they are not wanted, and not implement a system that will degrade the great football talent showcase we get to see in our Premier League. I personally have great faith that the England team has a great future as it has had a great past.

Posted 09:11 11th June 2008

Ali Omar (Arsenal fan) says...

I think the EPL has had a little influence on the outcome of the national side, firstly, top managers don't want to risk playing youngsters unless they are exceptional eg, rooney, walcott etc, hence the chances going to cheap imports, Chelsea would rather pay 30M for Shevchenko than risk giving david bentley a chance, even arsenal go overseas to bring in the likes of fabregas, flamini, clichy etc when the lower divisions have promising players who need an outing. Another thing is English players don't play overseas, and when they do with exceptions to Beckam, they get dropped from the national side like traitors, look at mcmanaman, and the rest, owen failed, ince tried, nobody wants to risk it. Big four- Please give a chance for the young English players

Posted 08:59 11th June 2008

Thorin Thistlebane (Manchester United fan) says...

Its just an easy way to blame the failure of youth academys over the past few years There has only been a handful of truely talented youngsters to come out of any team in the preimership over the last 5 years, that is one reason why so many managers buy players from abroad. Also to buy one of the few english youngsters the teams selling him want absolutely stupid money for them where as they can go abraod and buy Johnny Foreigner for a quarter of the price

Posted 07:10 11th June 2008

Brian Rees (West Ham United fan) says...

Totally agree, the West Ham academy has produced players like Terry, Ferdinand, Johnson, Cole, Lampard, Defoe, Carrick. But most other clubs wont take a risk playing youngsters. Having a Leage 2 goalkeeper in the England squad says it all!

Posted 06:57 11th June 2008

Mike Davis says...

The Premier League represents the true England as there are so many foreigners live here no body knows what the nationality of England now is.

Posted 06:42 11th June 2008

Paul Aidan (Liverpool fan) says...

I dont agree with hime, lets look at France, Spain, even Germany now days the have lots of foreignerz but they still qualify, do u forgoten that in 1994 England league doenst have many foreignerz and they didnt qualify for the world cup, i think there is prob off the pitch thats why

Posted 05:43 11th June 2008

Liam Smith (Newcastle United fan) says...

Yes but spanish players are playing outside Spain so they have a lot of payers to pick from of a high quality. Engand don't have many players playing outside the country so they are playing in the Championship etc instead

Posted 05:10 11th June 2008

Trent T (Manchester United fan) says...

Spain has a lot more Spanish players playing in the la liga than the Premier League has English players playing in it. It is definitely a reason why the England national team struggles for depth.

Posted 05:07 11th June 2008

Charles Sherred (Charlton Athletic fan) says...

I dont agree.. they have quality individuals like Fabregas, Torres, Puyol but as a national team they are like England. Underachievers. We are similar to the La Liga in ways but the amount of Foreign players does ruin our game and their own countries. Surely if ALL countries have a quote on the amount of home nationalies in their squad the future for the leagues and national teams will be better. Compared to many though we have advantages in the fact that more or less everyone from the national team play in england like Italy in 2006. However more english players should try playing abroad but still bring in a quota to prevent talented home gown talent being dumped down the leagues and possibly non league football

Posted 23:19 10th June 2008

Yiorgos david Kiriakidis (Chelsea fan) says...

If the ridiculous 6+5 rule happens or anything like this its going to ruin the english game. we are used to foreign players playing here and the 6+5 rule and any measures like this are just going to mean that teams like arsenal, chelsea, man utd and liverpool with be buying english players from smaller clubs just so they don't get penalised. leave the system as it is, just improve the football academies . . . .

Posted 23:12 10th June 2008

Chatburn Adam (Blackburn Rovers fan) says...

The simple fact that no British Team qualified for Euro 2008 is testament to the fact that the foreign talent in the Premiership is killing us internationally. And you know what? I'm ok with that. We had 3 english teams in the top 4 in the champions league and a scotish team in the uefa cup final. we're unlikely to ever do better than semi final in any international competition, i think that's a fair trade-off for being the best lleague in the world.

Posted 23:08 10th June 2008

Carole Fordham says...

This man is well past his 'sell-by' date. he should make way for someone who is in touch with the game. The football academy system didn't lose Steve Mclaren his job, his reliance on the same old 'prima donnas' is what lost him his job. The England team should be made up of players who really care about playing for their country like it used to be before the 'big money' ruined it all.

Posted 23:07 10th June 2008

Johnny Trebeck (Aston Villa fan) says...

I dont agree, if you look at other leagues like la liga its full if non Spanish players but Spain are still good!

Posted 23:02 10th June 2008
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