FIFA changes the rules to curb the 'Chelsea model' and holding companies like City Group.

Chelsea, the Club World Cup champions, had almost 50 players in their squad last season and had to release 21 to manage a dressing room that resembled the UN. Mirandés, on the other hand, had only nine players in their possession and 13 on loan . The Castilian team had to cancel a friendly in August 2024 because they didn't have enough players, and this preseason has started with six first-team players. These are two sides of a coin that FIFA is going to withdraw from circulation. Neither will be possible next year. Well, in Spain, it will be, due to a moratorium.

In its latest Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, dated January 2025, FIFA approved a section limiting the loan of players. In Article 10, on the loan of professionals, Section 6, FIFA states that "at any time during the season, a club may loan a maximum of six professionals ." It also states that each club "may have a maximum of six professionals on loan in its squad."

Sports law sources explain to EL MUNDO that FIFA's main intention is to eliminate "trading" between teams that share common ownership. Holding companies like City Group and Red Bull could easily exchange players, which could disrupt the competition as well as the morale of the players themselves, as changing teams in short periods of time can affect their performance as well as their own psychological state. Furthermore, the world's leading football organization also wants to encourage long-term contracts and guarantee contractual stability. Chelsea will now reduce its squad to just over 30 players. This week, it released Marc Guiu, Dewsbury-Hall, Raheem Sterling, Chilwell, and Renato Veiga . Disasi, Gilchrist, Chukwuemeka, Ugochukwu, and David Fofana are on the way out.

In Circular 1796, FIFA specifies the importance of reviewing the loan system to precisely regulate the activity and ensure that it is used to "fulfill legitimate training and development objectives, while minimizing excessive and abusive practices." They also recognize the "importance of having a defined and stable structure" and point out that "the new framework will ensure that developing younger players, promoting competitive balance , and preventing the hoarding or accumulation of players are key elements of the new regulations."

There's a small nuance to this transposition that allows it to avoid harming youth players or young players looking to leave in search of playing time. These restrictions do not affect players under 21 years of age or those trained by the club itself. So these changes modify the rules of the game, but they offer the possibility of circumvention and offer a breathing space for those just starting their careers.

The Royal Spanish Football Federation explained to EL MUNDO that a moratorium has been requested until 2026 since the proper transposition of these regulations into Spanish law, which must be included in the General Regulations, requires approval by the Higher Sports Council. Since the governing body will not do so until the season has already started, they believed it appropriate to postpone its implementation until the next summer market so as not to "fully affect the sporting planning of clubs." Last season, there were 156 players on loan in the First Division , 59 as signings and 97 as departures. In terms of signings, relegated Valladolid had the most players on loan (nine), followed by Espanyol (seven) and Valencia (six). In terms of departures, the table was led by Celta Vigo (11), ahead of Athletic Bilbao (eight) and Real Sociedad, Valencia and Villarreal (seven).

Many of these teams, especially those at the top of both league tables, would not be able to enjoy these situations under the new regulations. In the case of the most powerful clubs, the limitation could be easily overcome, for example, with new forms of operation such as sales with buy-back clauses, something much more common at a club like Real Madrid than actual loans.

Among mid-table and lower-tier teams, these new regulations could affect their structure and make it difficult for them to achieve the majority's goal of staying in the division.