Legionnaires in Teams: Benefit or Harm to Football

Legionnaires in football are called foreign players, who are specially hired. Until now, one can’t say unequivocally whether this is useful for football in general and for a particular team in particular. Obviously one thing: legionaries are able to show a bright interesting game, but how much is it justified? Can’t you do with players from your own country?

The very word “Legionnaire” appeared in Ancient Rome. It meant the best warriors who fought for the glory of Rome. Today, legionnaires refer to hired players in the sport.

Do you need legionnaries?

The presence of foreign players in the team gives several obvious advantages. To them it is possible to carry a bright productive game, with which the total is clearly more profitable. Legionnaires, as a rule, score many goals. As a result, we get spectacular football and a real show on the field.

However, consider specific situations to draw conclusions.

Premier League of England

England is considered the ancestor of football. Surprisingly, it is the English teams that are more than half composed of mercenaries (about 53%). If the remaining number of British players distribute between the Scots, the Irish and the British, then England accounts for a very small percentage. Interestingly, the greatest number of foreign players is present in the most successful English teams:

• Chelsea;
• Manchester city,
• Newcastle;
• Arsenal.

Most of the English mercenaries are from France, followed by Ireland. The third place in the number of foreign players in English teams is occupied by the Spaniards.

As for Manchester City, in this team the number of foreign players is the least. It is the English from this team that play for the national team.

The situation for teams that occupy intermediate places in the standings is more stable. Here, they are less dependent on foreigners, since the total number of mercenaries is 4-5 per team. It can’t be said that these championship participants play brilliantly, but their performance is more stable. For their interim places these teams hold fast. For example, the Norwich team is able to rank 14th or higher (5 mercenaries are on the team).

Despite stable indicators, analysts from various bookmakers make disappointing forecasts: the number of foreign players will continue to grow.

Champion of Spain

Let’s consider one more example. We mentioned that in the English teams in the third place among the legionnaires are the Spaniards. The same happens in the teams of Spain itself?

Here we see a more encouraging situation. Spanish players are considered to be among the strongest: they play well not only at home, but also in the fields of Europe. In Spain, the legionnaires play a less important role.

Nevertheless, some teams are highly dependent on foreign players, and in the standings they occupy not the last place. For example, the team of Malaga leads by the number of recruited foreign players. The reason for this is the owners of the team, the Arabs by origin. They buy a row of various players, without knowing how this will affect the quality of the game.

Very dependent on the legionaries of Barcelona and Real Madrid. However, if in Malaga all mercenaries are basically the same level, and the replacement of one or the other does not play a role, then Barcelona can lose a lot if the most productive football player from Argentina leaves. Thus, it is important not only the number of mercenaries, but also the quality of their game. Perhaps the younger generation of Spanish players will soon be able to change to the field of mercenaries, but so far the situation remains unchanged.

Young Spanish players are much more likely to become the core of the team. In England, a player will have several years to win this right.

Most of all mercenaries in Spanish football comes from Argentina and Brazil. They show good results and help teams to win places in the championships.

So, it turns out that for the entertainment and effectiveness of football, the legionaries are of great importance. At the same time, ideally, if their number does not exceed 4-5, which gives local football players a chance to form the basis of the team.

In different championships, there are some limits on the number of foreigners represented in the club. So, since 2013, FFU has reduced the limits on foreigners. Now, of the declared 25 people, four must be prepared at the club. Further every year, the requirements for the number of foreign players will be hardened, so that the clubs will have to seriously think about preparing their own players.

If you watch where the legionaries come from to football, an interesting picture is created. Mostly these are representatives of southern countries (for England, the Spaniards are also Southerners, but the Spaniards prefer Argentines and Brazilians). This fact does not mean that football is more developed in Argentina or Brazil: do we often bet on championships in these countries? Just southerners have a more emotional temperament, quick reaction, better bodies (sinewy, lean) to show good results in sports. Representatives of the African nation are simply created for jumping and running: they win in long races, and representatives of the Afro-American race are most among the mercenary basketball players.