EU 'Stay In' Campaign Targets Football Clubs

British football teams could find it harder to sign players from the European Union if the UK votes to leave the EU, it has been claimed.

West Ham United vice chairman Karren Brady has written to professional teams warning that "cutting ourselves off from Europe would have devastating consequences" for both the economy and the competitiveness of British football.

Baroness Brady, who is a Tory peer and is on the board of the main campaign to keep the UK in the European Union, said free movement rules make it easier to attract talent from member states.

She said two-thirds of players from EU countries playing in England might not meet the criteria enabling them to get a work visa and could therefore be forced to leave.

In the letter she said: "For clubs, free movement plays a big role in transfers and players' contracts.

"Players from the EU can sign for UK clubs without needing a visa or special work permit, making it quicker and easier to secure top talent from across Europe to come and play in our leagues.

"Indeed, there are nearly 200 Premier League footballers alone who have benefited from this arrangement.

"Leaving the EU could have a big impact on foreign players, as independent analysis has shown that two-thirds of European stars in England would not meet automatic non-EU visa criteria and therefore might be forced to leave.

"Losing this unhindered access to European talent would put British clubs at a disadvantage compared to continental sides."

EU free movement rules currently allow British teams to sign foreign stars who have citizenship with any EU country.

They also apply the other way - enabling British players such as Gareth Bale to sign for teams like Real Madrid.

Vote Leave, one of the campaigns encouraging people to vote to split with the EU in the upcoming referendum, responded by saying: "There are big holes in their arguments."

A press release said Ms Brady's contention was based on flawed research and "it assumed that 'if Britain quit the EU [it would] treat all overseas footballers the same'.

"In reality there would be nothing to stop the FA or Government removing the requirement for foreign footballers to obtain a sponsorship licence from the FA after the UK left the EU.

"In fact, as the FA has acknowledged, the recent restrictions that have been introduced on skilled immigration from non-EU countries are the direct consequence of the EU's freedom of movement rules.

"Even in the unlikely scenario that the current rules were retained and applied to EU states, the impact is likely to be limited. Foreign players are entitled to a work visa if they are part of an association that is in the FIFA top 50.

"This means high quality players from Belgium, Germany, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Netherlands, Austria, Croatia, Slovakia, Italy, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Poland, Sweden, Hungary, Greece and Slovenia would be largely unaffected."