Lin Hai Ting Tao
Chapter 199 First Team Registration List
※※※
The final deadline for player registration in the Bundesliga this season is September 1st, but before that, clubs can submit their registered player lists at any time.
The Bundesliga's player registration rules are probably the most lenient of the top five leagues, with an upper limit of ninety-nine players and a lower limit of fifteen. Because no team can register a full ninety-nine first-team players, the upper limit can be understood as having no limit.
In addition, the Bundesliga is also the most lenient in terms of non-EU player restrictions.
Among the top five leagues, Serie A is the strictest. Although it seems that the Serie A league does not limit the number of non-EU players in a club, it has formulated very strict requirements for the introduction of non-EU players, stipulating that each team can only introduce a maximum of two non-EU players from abroad each season. For each non-EU player introduced, an existing non-EU player in the team must either leave the team to a foreign club—whether it is leaving after the contract expires, or leaving through transfer or loan—or obtain an EU passport at the end of the season to become an EU player. In 2003, in order to introduce the non-EU player Kaka, AC Milan first sold the Nigerian player Aliyu to Standard Liege in Belgium as a replacement.
Although the English Premier League also does not have a limit on the number of non-EU players, it does have the "work permit" as an introduction threshold. For a non-EU player to join a Premier League club, he must be a national team player of his nationality and have represented the national team in more than 75% of international A-level matches in the past two years. Moreover, his country's FIFA ranking must average in the top 70 in the world in the past two years. This is done to ensure the quality of non-EU players in the Premier League. The "work permit" is simply a nightmare for Chinese players. Of course, Premier League clubs probably don't think much of the level of Chinese players...
The Spanish La Liga's non-EU player restriction stipulates that each team can only have a maximum of three non-EU players. However, the La Liga alliance also passed an agreement—the "Cotonou Agreement." According to this agreement, players from seventy-nine member countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific will enjoy the same treatment as EU players. In addition, due to reciprocal policies, players from Turkey and Russia are not subject to non-EU player quotas in La Liga.
Ligue 1 has no restrictions on the number of first-team registrations, but each team can have a maximum of four non-EU players. However, like La Liga, Ligue 1 also abides by the "Cotonou Agreement," and member countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific are not subject to non-EU player restrictions. At the same time, because France has a large number of colonies in Africa, French is one of the official languages of Africa, which also facilitates a large number of African players joining Ligue 1.
And for Asian players who have no advantages in terms of language and policy, the Bundesliga is the most suitable first stop to land in Europe.
The Bundesliga's regulations regarding the number of non-EU players are... there is no limit on the number! Three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten... all are fine.
In fact, the Bundesliga used to have restrictions on the number of non-EU players, but starting in the summer of 2006, the Bundesliga abolished the restrictions on the number of non-EU players, replacing it with a way to ensure domestically trained players: they require the first team to guarantee four players who have played for at least three seasons or thirty-six months in a domestic club between the ages of fifteen and twenty-one, with at least two players from the team's youth training (regardless of player nationality). This is the so-called 2+2 policy, which later developed into 4+4, namely eight domestically trained players and four players trained by the club.
Unlike other leagues that restrict the number of foreign players in order to help their own players get more opportunities, the Bundesliga does not restrict the number of foreign players, but vigorously develops youth training. This may be out of confidence in their own youth training level. They believe that their young players are outstanding, and even if there are more non-EU foreign players, they will not take away the jobs of their own domestic players.
And the results of this approach have also proved the Germans' confidence.
Their youth training has already blossomed. Last year and the year before, German youth teams of all ages successively won the European Youth Football Championship. In the Bundesliga, more and more young players are playing in the club and even taking the lead.
This fully illustrates that paying attention to youth training does not necessarily require restricting the number of foreign players. There is no necessary plus or minus relationship between the two.
※※※
Before the start of the first round of the league, each Bundesliga team submitted their first version of the player registration list.
The media also reported on the first-team list of each team.
In addition, the registered list of the first team of each team can also be found on the official website of the Bundesliga.
The Chinese media is probably the most concerned about Borussia Dortmund's first-team registration list. During this period, I don't know how many domestic media reporters were guarding and constantly refreshing the Bundesliga official website page, just waiting to see if Zhou Yi could finally stay in the first team.
As the saying goes, "Heaven rewards those who work hard." After waiting for a few days, the Bundesliga official website finally released the first-team list of Borussia Dortmund!
The Chinese reporters in front of the computer screen couldn't wait to find familiar names in it.
The first-team list is arranged from "1" according to the number.
So the first one is the main goalkeeper, number one, Weidenfeller.
Next, numbers 2 and 3 are empty.
Number 4 Neven Subotić, number 5 Sebastian Kehl.
Number 6 is vacant.
Number 7 Tinga. Number 8 Nuri Sahin. Number 9 Valdez. Number 10 Mohammed Zidan. Number 11 Dimitar Rangelov.
Number 12 is vacant.
Number 13 Damien Le Tallec. Number 14 Markus Feulner. Number 15 Mats Hummels. Number 16 Jakub Błaszczykowski—because his name is too long and complicated, everyone calls him by his nickname "Kuba."
Number 17 Dédé. Number 18 Lucas Barrios. Number 19 Kevin Großkreutz. Number 20 Marc Ziegler. Number 21 Hünemeier. Number 22 Sven Bender.
Number 23...
"Zhou Yi!" The reporter in front of the computer screen shouted, and his colleagues around him gathered around.
"He stayed in the first team!"
"Really! This kid is awesome!"
"So cool! There is a Chinese player in the Bundesliga again!"
Cheers erupted from the crowd around the computer.
And this news was soon not limited to the media's editorial department. Soon, on the Chinese Internet, the news that Zhou Yi was registered by Borussia Dortmund for the new season's league roster quickly spread.
Portal websites, QQ groups, post bars, forums... Wherever there are fans, everyone is discussing this matter.
They are full of enthusiasm, full of various expectations and fantasies for the future.
They have already begun to imagine seeing Zhou Yi in the Bundesliga live broadcast.
Chinese domestic TV stations have always had the tradition of broadcasting the Bundesliga, so it is not difficult to watch the Bundesliga league in China.
Unlike the Premier League, if Zhou Yi went to a Premier League team, he could only watch it online. In terms of China's network construction, most people at this time still use 4MB broadband, so watching live games is really too laggy.
And if Zhou Yi joins a La Liga team, although there are live broadcasts in China, if everyone wants to watch the game, they can only climb out of bed in the middle of the night to watch it. Too many people can't stick to this. Watching a few games is fresh, but it is really difficult to watch it for a long time.
This is also the reason why the influence of La Liga in China has always been limited.
Serie A has completely declined, so let's not talk about it.
The Bundesliga league is simply the best choice for Chinese fans. Not only is there free live broadcast, but the live broadcast time is often very good. Most games are at 9:30 PM or 10:30 PM Beijing time. It is convenient for everyone to watch the game, and after watching the game, they can go to bed and sleep directly without delaying rest.
In the new season, they will see Zhou Yi's games on TV!
Previously, through media reports, they knew that Zhou Yi performed well in the Borussia Dortmund youth team, became the core, and helped the Borussia Dortmund youth team win the German Youth Cup and the Youth League double, but everyone has not seen how Zhou Yi plays on the field. Now most people's impression of Zhou Yi's performance on the field still remains in the program "Green Field Inheritor."
Since that show, they have never seen any video footage of Zhou Yi playing.
And now, the thought of being able to see Zhou Yi playing on TV excites many fans.
The broadcasting level of the Bundesliga is recognized as good. They can not only see it, but also see it clearly and enjoyably.
Portal websites quickly published news reports written by reporters about this first-team list, analyzing what it means for fans or touting Zhou Yi—these are all things that fans like to see. Chinese football has simply fallen to a low point in recent years, becoming a rat crossing the street that everyone shouts and beats, and has spawned many jokes and segments that black Chinese football.
In such a dark environment, Zhou Yi is simply like a light shot out from behind the fans, illuminating the road ahead for all the fans who are groping forward, and also giving them some comfort and courage.
In absolute darkness, suddenly there is such a light, how many people can still remain calm at this moment?
They must all be ecstatic and disregard everything else...
Through the changes in the mentality of Chinese fans in recent years, we can see how bad our football is.
In the past, everyone expected the national team to perform well. Now, no one cares about how the national team is doing. Anyway, they can't enter the finals of the Olympic Games or the World Cup. In 2008, they entered the Olympic finals once with the opportunity of being the host, but they lost all three group matches, losing the game and losing face.
Now, just being able to produce a Chinese player who can play in a European top five league team is enough to make Chinese fans happy for a long time.
But even such a humble request is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve.
The winter of Chinese football has spread from domestic to overseas. This period is also the winter of Chinese overseas players.
Zhou Yi is now the person in everyone's eyes who breaks the ice. Whether he wants to or not, he is not playing for himself now, but shoulders more responsibility and entrustment.
This hope will turn into a pressure that is always present. With the fragile psychological quality of Chinese players, few people can withstand this pressure.
So, what about Zhou Yi?