news-engine

Birmingham City and their Championship rivals have been hit by a significant change to the Football Association’s recruitment rules – with one forced to remove 50 players from its list of targets. The rule change affects the Elite Significant Contribution (ESC) route, which allows clubs to sign players from overseas who do not automatically meet the criteria for a Governing Body Endorsement (GBE). A GBE is usually granted if the player has played a certain number of international matches for their country or been a regular for a club in a high-ranking European league. For those that aren’t eligible, the purchasing club requests an ESC and sets out to prove that the player in question will make a significant contribution to the sport. FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK! All the latest Blues news on Birmingham Live’s Birmingham City FC Facebook page Blues have signed a number of players from overseas in recent transfer windows, including Phil Neumann, Kanya Fujimoto, Jhon Solis and Luis Vazquez - none of whom have represented their countries, meaning obtaining a GBE wouldn't be plain sailing. Championship clubs are allowed four ESC spots, as per FA rules, after the EFL successfully pushed back against a proposal to reduce the number to two. However, there is a change to the rule. Under the revised rules, which came into force when the summer transfer window opened on June 15, ESC applications are now restricted to players born on or after January 1, 2003. In effect, Championship clubs can no longer use one of their four ESC allocations to sign an overseas player aged 24 or older unless that player qualifies for a full GBE. Some clubs have been hit harder than others and Portsmouth boss John Mousinho has laid bare the challenge faced by his own club. The Portsmouth News reports that Pompey have had to wipe 50 players off their recruitment list. "The FA have changed the squad rules regarding ESC slots, which has made things a lot more difficult - and actually a lot more costly," Mousinho said. "That's really hurt Championship clubs in particular and had a negative financial impact on what we're trying to do." "You can probably imagine if you're trying to bring in a player who is a little more experienced at the age of 27 or 28 and they're ESC, they may be a bit cheaper. "You now can't do that, you just can't bring them in."