Last update 19 November, 2024 by Alberto Llopis
Nowadays, almost all Spanish teams based much of its potential in overseas players. However, This has not always been so. And is that in 1953 things were very different, since both the Spanish League and the Copa del Rey for many years they banned the use of foreign players.
The prohibition of signing foreigners in the Spanish League
For starters we can say that until 1946 They could not play foreigners in Spanish teams. Nevertheless, the most striking in the years to come 50, when the transfer policy of non-national players would harden considerably.
Specifically, he 24 of August of 1953, the National Sports Delegation banned the purchase of foreign players relying on the poor results of the selection (Interestingly fourth in the World Cup 50) and the bad image that gave the championship excessive role of players coming out that remained prominence to Spanish.
The 'exceptions in the regulation’
All of this, plus added the controversial signing of Di Stefano Real Madrid ( after being verbal agreement with Barcelona) They propitiated that up 1973 not to any club be allowed to have foreign players in their ranks with the exception of the natives called (Nationalized players or a family history Spanish)
A native players who would bring about numerous football scandals and administrative. African players with dubious parent of Spanish or South American nationality who always had grandparents Spaniards had made the standard controversial effectiveness.
Result of this, It emerged a controversial report uncovered that 46 of the 60 native admitted to the Spanish soccer had falsified documentation. For example, Real Madrid footballer Roberto Martinez said he was born in Mendoza, instead of Buenos Aires, and it found that was released a year earlier. Cos was registered as Patricio Bernardo Fernández Cos, when her family and from her grandparents, there had been no Fernández.
Finally the pressure of multiple computers, including Barcelona, It prompted the 26 May 1973 the rule was abolished and could sign up to two players per squad. However, it wouldn't be until 1978, when the regulations come into force in the Copa del Rey (in fact, the end of 74 between R. Madrid and Barcelona played without Cruyff and Netzer).