The introduction of the limit on foreigners will most significantly affect the positions of "Sheriff"
The FMF proposal envisages the introduction from the 2026/27 season of the obligation of Super League clubs to field at least one Moldovan player under 21 and under 23 years of age, who must play throughout the match. By the 2027/28 season, the minimum number of players with a Moldovan passport should increase to three, one of whom can be of any age. In the 2028/29 season, at least four players on the pitch must be homegrown: one player under 21 and three players of any age.
The introduction of the limit on foreigners provides for an increase of 50% of the fee for the application of one foreign player, it will amount to € 15 thousand. These proposals will be submitted for consideration by the Executive Committee of the FMF before the start of the next season.
The limit on foreigners was first introduced in Moldova in the 2006/07 season, when no more than nine foreign players could be on the field at the same time. A season later, the limit was tightened to eight foreigners. In the 2012/13 season, the number was reduced to seven. Former FMF president Pavel Cebanu then suggested that “with our own resources we can rise to a new level of development”. “There is no need to compare the potential of Moldovan clubs with English Manchester United or Arsenal, where legionnaires dictate fashion. It is necessary to play with home-grown players. The teams have had more than 20 years to develop infrastructure and other aspects of licensing, now it is time to think about the reserve. We understand that this step will cause dissatisfaction of some clubs, but stop artificially developing soccer”, – said the former president of the specialized federation.
In the English championship, mentioned by Cebanu, as such there is no limit on foreigners, but there is a rule about the presence of at least eight homegrown players in the application of 25 players. Strict selection rules apply to foreign players. The choice in favor of foreign players is made taking into account the position of the national team of the home country of the legionnaire in the ranking of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and the indicator of his play for the national team. Footballers of the national teams, not included in the top 50, are not automatically issued an English work visa, the decision on their transfer to Premier League clubs is made by the board of the “Exceptions Panel” and depends on many factors, such as transfer value, salary, experience in previous clubs and the national team.
Similar indirect restrictions on the number of foreigners are in place in the leagues of most European countries (see table). The restrictions apply to players coming from outside the EU. One of the most stringent are the restrictions in Italy: clubs must not have more than two non-Europeans in their bids for the season.
But there is a loophole that allows you to bypass the limit. Footballers cease to be legionnaires, if they receive a passport of one of the EU countries, but at the same time can play for the national teams of their countries.
Italy also has strict rules regarding homegrown players. Each Serie A club must include in the application at least eight players who at least three years under the age of 21 years trained in Italian soccer academies. Four of them must be pupils of the clubs that announced them for the season.
The limit on foreigners in Moldova was abolished in 2019. Until then, Moldovan clubs were obliged to produce at least four local players in the starting lineup, one of whom was under 21 years old. FMF president Leonid Olejnichenko, who had just taken office at the time, attributed the abolition of the limit to the fact that Moldovan players were taking advantage of their position. “The cut for six years showed that what we wanted, what we achieved – it didn’t work. All coaches of clubs in the National Division complain that a young player, knowing that he is in the squad, reduces the demands on himself. And coaches, in order not to take risks, “hide” him somewhere on the flank of the midfield. And if there are good young players, they play, regardless of whether there is a limit or not”, – emphasized the head of the FMF.
The introduction of the limit shows the FMF’s concern about the results of the national, youth and junior national teams of Moldova in international tournaments. The national team finished the European qualifying tournament for the Mundial-2026 in the last place in its group, without a single victory in eight matches and suffered the biggest defeat in its history against Norway (1:11). The youth national team is in the penultimate place in the group of the qualifying tournament for the European Championship (U-21), ahead of peers from Kazakhstan only on additional indicators. Youth national team (U-19) in the first three matches of the qualifying tournament for the continental championship in 2026 won one victory, which does not allow it to compete with Italy and Poland. The U-17 national team has earned just one point in three qualifying matches.
The basis of the national team of Moldova is made up of players playing in foreign championships. In the final matches of the European qualifying tournament for the World Cup with Italy and Israel, only one third of the players represented Super League clubs. Head coach Lilian Popescu called up four players from the Petrocub club to the national team, the position of sports manager in which he combines with his work at the head of the coaching staff of the “tricolor”. Two players each were called up from Zimbru and Sheriff.
Popescu’s decision is easy to explain when looking at the composition of clubs in Super League matches. Thus, in the recent match between Sheriff and Zimbru (0:1), the Tiraspol team had only one player with Moldovan citizenship in the starting lineup – goalkeeper Victor Straistari. Midfielder Danila Forov came on the field in the second half. The situation in the capital club looked more encouraging – three Moldovan passport holders in the starting lineup (Andrei Macritschi, Vladimir Fratia and Mihail Stefan) and one substitute (Niki Kleshchenko).
Absolutely opposite situation is observed in “Petrocub”, which for the match of the 20th round of the first phase of the Super League with “Dacia-Buiucani” (3:1) announced only one legionnaire – a native of Cameroon Jesse Gera Ju. The predominance of homegrown players in the squad did not prevent the club from Hincesti from becoming the “winter champion” of Moldova and the favorite to win the Super League trophy in 2026.
“Petrocub” relies on the pupils of its own soccer academy, and this long-term practice is paying off. In 2024, the club became the Moldovan champion for the first time in its history, and twice won the Cup of the country. Last season Petrocub played in the group tournament of the European Cup – Conference League for the first time, earning a record in the history of the club €4.3 million. This season Shota Maharadze’s wards failed to overcome the second round of the tournament, but the positive trend is evident! The rest of the Super League leaders should learn from the successful experience of reorienting towards homegrown players.
Skeptics of the FMF proposal express fears about the future of Moldovan clubs in European cups, where there is a possibility of falling to serious opponents in the early stages of the tournament. They recall the triumphant season of 2021/22 for Sheriff, when Real Madrid was defeated in the Champions League (2:1) and the Wasps’ budget was increased by €23.8 million.
To keep such a high bar, relying only on the services of legionnaires and good fortune, seems to be a gamble that does not contribute to the development of Moldovan soccer in general. This directly affects the results of the national teams, which do not have quality players in all lines. As international practice shows, the preparation of their own pupils capable of competing with foreigners is a complex process, requiring considerable effort and financial investment, but necessary to achieve higher goals not only for clubs, but also for the national team.
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Peculiarities of the practice of attracting foreigners in different European countries |
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Country |
Rules of attracting foreigners |
| Austria | No more than seven foreigners in the Bundesliga clubs’ bids. For exceeding the limit clubs lose financial support of the league. Clubs Red Bull (Salzburg) and Sturm (Graz) deliberately exceed the limit to attract more foreigners. |
| England | From eight homegrown players in the bids of Premier League clubs, strict requirements for the selection of players from countries with low positions in the FIFA ranking. |
| Belgium | From six players who have trained in the country for at least three years before reaching the age of 23, in the bids of Pro League clubs. These players do not have to be Belgian citizens. |
| Germany | At least 12 homegrown soccer players in the bids of Bundesliga clubs. Among them, eight players must be from German academies, and four of them must be from the youth system of the club they are playing for. |
| Greece | No more than seven players from outside the EU in the first Super League, no less than six players with Greek citizenship and no more than five players from outside the EU in the second Super League. |
| Spain | No more than three internationals from outside the EU in La Liga clubs. |
| Italy | No more than two foreigners in the Serie A clubs’ bids for the season. At least eight homegrown players, four of whom must be from the youth system of the club for which they are playing. |
| Netherlands | Eredivisie clubs may bring in an unlimited number of foreign players, but must pay a salary set specifically for players from their non-EU countries. |
| Romania | No more than three foreigners from outside the EU are allowed in the bids of Superleague clubs. These players must play in the national teams of their countries. Each top division club is also obliged to include at least one Romanian youth national team player in the matchday squad. |
| Ukraine | No more than seven foreigners in the squads of Premier League clubs on the pitch. Clubs of the second division may have no more than four foreign players, but on the field during the match can be no more than three legionnaires. In the third division, the number of foreign players is not limited, but no more than three can be on the field at the same time. |
| France | No more than four players from non-EU countries in Ligue 1 clubs’ bids. The restriction does not apply to the natives of African countries – former French colonies, who can be declared by clubs in unlimited numbers. |
