Brexit has changed the processes for non-EU/EEA players & managers looking to join British professional football clubs. PlayerStat Data has developed a data product to make the process as affordable & flexible as possible for the club/agency client.

Without writing an overtly political piece, Brexit’s impact on British football is likely to be far-reaching and long-lasting (whether it is positive or negative depends on the reader’s own viewpoint). Overseas players (i.e. non-EU/EEA elite players except the Republic of Ireland) will have to go through a points criteria process to obtain a Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) – proving their eligibility to sign for a professional football club in Britain. This has now been stretched to non-EU/EEA managers who are targeted by a managerless football club, subject to this eligibility requirement.

(image from unionsyndicale.eu)

Each specific football association has their own criteria and rules to obtain a GBE, but the premise remains the same. Players/managers must now go through a bureaucratic, points process to gain a GBE to be eligible to sign for a suitor club. Governing Body Endorsement criteria range from:

• the number of senior/youth international appearances,
• FIFA World Rankings,
• quality of the selling club
• Club appearances & number of minutes played
• The target manager’s length of service at a defined level.

This GBE process increases the workload & paperwork around player transfers & managerial appointments and will, overall, impact those clubs with limited resources. Additional costs will be added to a club’s operations, and many clubs/agents are unsure about how to go about the GBE process and what, in fact, is required for this application process.

At PlayerStat Data, we offer accurate, intelligent, and bespoke data solutions to our clients. Elite players, agencies, and the professional clubs themselves. Our data analyst team have developed a GBE points calculator that is flexible and works for the club/agent client, when they need it.

Some data outlets ONLY offer a GBE points calculator to current platform subscribers, but at PlayerStat Data, we have created a data calculator available to ALL clubs and agencies on a case-by-case basis. Other professional outlets offer a similar service, without the football/data understanding of the footballing criteria element & at a much higher cost to the client.

Our GBE points service offers clients the flexibility needed for a process like this in these difficult financial times, along with full transparency & confidentiality. Confidentiality agreements can be signed to ensure full trust in our process AND a breakdown report provided on each of the GBE points criteria and resultant points will be made available (particularly crucial for those cases who may need to go before the Exceptions Panel).

Our bespoke performance data products give full control back to our clients, giving them what they want from their performance data outputs.

Our GBE points calculator process offers clubs and agents the flexibility to use our services on a case-by-case basis, while suiting their financial needs in these testing times.

Accurate, intelligent and bespoke performance data solutions