Europe weakened by player influx but not dead yet

Is it coincidence that a month after Inter Milan won the Champions League without a single Italian in their starting lineup Italy went out of the World Cup in the first round finishing bottom of their group?  

Should anyone be surprised that six months after a Premier League match between Arsenal and Portsmouth kicked off without a single English player on the pitch England were knocked out in the last 16 on the back of their heaviest ever World Cup defeat?  

Although Brazil are the only team to win the trophy on a foreign continent -- having done so in Europe, North America and Asia -- South Africa's 'winter World Cup' was supposed to suit European teams, who have often struggled in hot conditions at the end of gruelling domestic seasons.

However, the quarter-finals will feature only three European sides, the continent's lowest-ever representation. Italy, France, Denmark, Greece, Slovenia, Serbia and Switzerland went out in the group stage. England, and two from Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain and Portugal will depart from the last 16. 

That compares with six in 2006, 1998 and 1990 and seven in 1994, 1958 and 1982 -- when it was a group stage.                 

There is no real mystery behind the decline as there seems to be near-universal agreement that the huge influx of overseas players has not only been to the detriment of Europe's national teams but has strengthened the countries sending players over. 

Clubs all over Europe are filling their squads with overseas players -- more than half in the Premier League''s case -- and the pressure for instant success and the money available has made clubs less and less likely to bring home-grown players through their own development systems.  

"If we get one player through the youth system into the first team every 18 months then we consider it a success," former Denmark international Frank Arnesen said when discussing his role as director of football at Chelsea -- a modest target they still have yet to achieve.                                                                                   

Shrinking pool                                        

When clubs with fewer resources develop their own players they are quickly snapped up by the big clubs, who then often leave them to stagnate while the overseas "stars" get to play.

Former England winger and Premier League manager Steve Coppell said before the World Cup: "I really do feel that if this situation continues the pool from which we can choose English players will diminish so much that it is going to be very difficult for us to be competitive at the very top level. 

"I know the argument is that the standards of the English players have been raised by foreign players, but when they are not getting a game then that argument defeats itself."

While the situation is affecting many of Europe's national teams adversely, it is benefitting others. Twenty of the 23-man Brazilian squad play in Europe while Argentina (17), Uruguay (15), Chile (12) and Paraguay (nine) are not far behind.

"Most if not all of our younger players are playing at important clubs overseas and they are capitalising on the experience they are gaining from playing high-level football," coach Oscar Tabarez said after guiding Uruguay to the quarter-finals for the first time in 40 years.

However, it may be a little early to draw conclusions or for soccer''s world and European governing bodies, FIFA and UEFA respectively, to kick-start their campaigns to limit the number of overseas players allowed in a club.

Brazil were the only non-European team in the last eight in 1958 and 1994 but the trophy still went back to Rio.                                           

Germany, Spain and Netherlands are still in the tournament and all three can still make the last four.                                            

There has not been a final without a European team for 60 years and on July 11 who is to say the world will not be asking why, for the second successive tournament, we have an all-European decider?