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A HIGH number of Zimbabwean footballers abroad are in Europe’s “minor” football leagues, according to the Annual Review of the European Football Players’ Market.
Dr Raffaele Poli, the director and co-founder of the Professional Footballers Players Observatory told Standardsport that there was “no one from Zimbabwe and few (players) from South Africa playing in the top European leagues”.
Former Warriors captain Benjani Mwaruwari was part of the annual review, in the 2008-2009 report but has been left out in the 2010 edition, as he was clubless at time of the review.
In a sad indictment of domestic football, several Zimbabwean players plying their trade in Europe, among them Warriors players Clemence Matawu, Costa Nhamoinesu (both Poland), Justice Majabvi (Austria) and Ovidy Karuru (France) are reported to be playing in Europe’s small time leagues and were left out of the review. The players moved to Europe in the past two years.
England based Onismor Bhasera, who plays in the Coca-Cola championship is not part of the big league.
The Demographic Study of European Footballers is an annual publication destined for anyone who wishes to acquire a scientific understanding of the European football players’ labour market.
It presents the dynamics at work in 36 first division leagues in UEFA member countries. The latest edition is the biggest survey comprising 528 clubs and 12 524 footballers.
According to the latest review released on Tuesday, expatriate footballers represent 42,6% of squads and have taken part in 43,9% of the total number of minutes for all players. These percentages are similar to those measured for the 2008/09 season.
The proportion of footballers having grown up outside the country where they play is particularly high in England, where it has reached a record level of 59,8%.
A new record has also been established in Italy, where expatriates now account for 42,1% of squads (+3%). The biggest decrease took place in Germany, where 47,4% of players have grown up abroad, as opposed to 50,2% for the previous season.
On average, the best clubs field a squad made up of two-thirds of expatriates. The latter played 93,3% of minutes at Arsenal and 92,2% at Inter Milan.
Brazil remains the country from where originates the most expatriate footballers present in the five major European leagues. However, their number has strongly declined when compared to last season, falling from 163 to 139 (-24).
On the contrary, the number of Argentineans considerably increased from 103 to 120 (+17). The third principal exporting country is France, with 106 footballers under contract to clubs of the other big 5 leagues (+6).
Almost one-third of expatriate players in the top European championships have grown up in one of these three countries. Roughly one-half of expatriates come from countries outside of UEFA. This percentage is 70,7% in France and only 30% in England.
While Zimbabwean players are failing to break into the top European leagues, Nigeria is the highest exporter of players to the top European leagues with 25 players.
Cote d’Ivoire is the second highest continental exporter with 23 players in the top European leagues. The other players in small leagues are not considered.
In Southern Africa, World Cup hosts South Africa is the highest “exporter” with eight players in the top European leagues. Zambia and Namibia have one player each.
The annual review said almost 40% of players recruited at the start or during the 2009/10 season by clubs of the major five European leagues were from foreign teams.
The main country of international recruitment is Spain, where clubs of the four other major European leagues signed 43 players (+13) by comparison to the previous season).
Since the 2005/06 season, France has been the main country of international recruitment, with a total of 158 players signed. The principal countries of recruitment outside of the big five leagues are Brazil (141 transfers since 2005, but only 12 during last season), Argentina (108), Holland (106) and Portugal (97). The number of players recruited in Russia has doubled between the 2008/09 and 2009/10 seasons, increasing from 6 to 13.
However, the number of transfers has dropped for the fifth consecutive year. On average, big 5 league teams have recruited 9,4 players at the start or during the 2009/10 season.
This value is much higher in Italy (12,9) than for the other championships, and greater for lesser performing teams (10,6) than for the best ones (7,3).
The average length of stay for players in their club has returned to a similar level to that measured in 2005/06 (2,57 years).
The players of the best teams have been at their club for 3,47 seasons on average. These clubs field on average players whose seniority in the squad is 4,12 years.
The longest average length of stay for players on the pitch has been recorded for Manchester United (6,36 years), Barcelona (5,44) and Chelsea (5,01).
BY FANUEL VIRIRI
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