The history of foreign players in Mexican soccer

Last update 5 April, 2024 por Alberto Llopis

Since many years, It has evolved during a fierce debate that has to do with the signings of foreigners in the Mexican First Division. On numerous occasions it has raised the possibility of reducing the number of players from other latitudes, because they have the idea that slow potential careers of young nationals formed in the quarries of clubs. Some others, They believe that foreigners come to our country to do very little in terms of footballing, in contrast to the high wages. Hence, many journalists and fans opinions, put on the table their manifestos against recruiting players from other nations.

No obstante, other voices, defend hiring foreign, They are believing that enhance the show. This argument is true in many cases. Usually several of the players who come from other countries, They stand out above many born in Mexico. The positions that usually have higher productivity are in attack and in midfield, where they have come to get a significant percentage of goals and assists. If a collation of statistics is done in the history of professional Mexican soccer, It may confirm this statement.

In an isolated episode, Club Deportivo Guadalajara, has respected its mystique include only Mexican players in their squad. This case is significant, jalisciense since the club was founded by the Belgian citizen Edgar Everaert, and even he had among its ranks some French, to the beginning. Another team that raised copy the model, It was the University Club, popularly known as UNAM Pumas. This idea sounded great force around the 2011, after the last title on capital equipment.

The aim was to rescue the productivity of a quarry that was far from his best years to serve as a seedbed. This plan failed to materialize, as the team came down, after an administrative change. The new managers were given the task of hiring more foreign and foreclose opportunities for new Mexican securities. Nowadays, The club has nine players not born in Mexico, four of them naturalized, who they have failed to take the lethargy to the quarry.

Por otra parte, the recent signing of Ronaldinho has put his finger on the sore, under his contract, which is perhaps greater expectation has generated throughout the history of Mexican football. This certainly, vindicates the sectors that support the signings of foreign players. But the question is as follows: From what historical moment the debate arose about the signings of foreigners in the league?

En específico, It was generated from 1943, during the first season of Major League Professional, direct antecedent of the First National Division. In that context, the directors of America, Engineer César Martano; and Atlante, General Jose Manuel Nunez, They raised the idea of ​​subtracting the squares of foreign, and even they proposed using a list of demands during a press campaign. This manifesto was composed of five points, outlined below:

1.- No foreigners are considered those with more than five years in the country.
2.- It is not considered foreign, For the purposes of the proposal, Mexican nationalized.
3.- No foreigners is considered the Spaniards with political asylum.
4.- The number of foreign players, It shall be limited to four, maximum.
5.- retroactivity agreement will if taken for the benefit of Mexican Soccer.

Ratification of the document depended on the approval of at least four clubs in Major League owners, which they are those with a voice. Failing, the decision result of the vote of seven clubs, a total of ten that made the league. these clubs, lower economic prosapia, They were known as "arrimados". The configuration of this plan was branded as "machiavellian". It was believed that this represented a kind of discrimination and that threatened racial rights, plus it lacked legal to be instituted as part of a whim influenced by a sort of abuse of power in the presidency of Major League objects.

It has been argued, that the slogan was to hurt clubs like Spain and Asturias, which they had a good number of foreigners, mainly Spanish and placed in the top echelons of the tournament. Besides promoting extreme nationalism, since the ideologists of this request came from conservative sectors of the post-revolutionary, It was sought to restrain these clubs detrimental actions xenophobic.

Time after, at the behest of then President Manuel Avila Camacho, the action finally prevailed. the number of foreigners was limited to five and the capital could only align four. Currently the measure remains in force, however the number is relativized by the status of naturalized, allowing it increased the number of players not born in the country to take sides in the First Division championship. Meanwhile the debate remains, although staff level, we believe that the non-inclusion of foreigners is not necessarily the optimal measure to raise the level of the League and overall Mexican soccer, which is still well below the standards idealizados.