Latest news with #domesticgoalkeepers
The Sun
11 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
South Korea lift bizarre little-known 26-year ban on signing foreign goalkeepers
A 26-YEAR ban on foreign goalkeepers in South Korea's top soccer league has been lifted effective from the start of the 2026 season. Only Korean goalkeepers have been allowed to play in the K League, the oldest professional domestic league in Asia since 1999. 2 2 The rule was originally introduced to protect homegrown talent when there were only 10 professional clubs. Following a board meeting in Seoul this week, the K League announced that with 26 professional clubs now competing across the top two tiers, there's enough room to accommodate international goalkeepers. The increase in the number of clubs means there are sufficient opportunities for domestic goalkeepers to play, even with the inclusion of foreigners. The board said in a statement: 'Starting in 2026 clubs will be permitted to register foreign goalkeepers. "The K League previously restricted their participation beginning in 1996 and introduced a full ban in 1999. "To encourage the development of domestic goalkeepers as most clubs at the time relied on foreign players in the position. "We have considered the fact that, with foreign player registrations restricted, the salary increase rate of domestic goalkeepers has risen disproportionately compared to outfield players.' There have reportedly been concerns over a shortage of quality keepers in the country due in part to the expanded size of modern rosters which typically include three or four goalkeepers. The decision to lift the ban is now expected to directly increase the number of foreign players in the K League. The move also brings the K League in line with other major Asian leagues, such as those in Japan, Saudi Arabia, and China. Iraq striker Aymen Hussein SENT OFF for bizarre grass-eating celebration after goal in Asian Cup Another rule that was introduced last season was a homegrown classification for youth players of foreign nationality who have spent a significant period developing in South Korea. If a foreign player has been registered with a domestic amateur team for three consecutive years, or a total of five years, before signing their first professional contract, they are now classified as a domestic player and will not occupy a foreign player slot.
BBC News
13 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
K-League to end rule banning foreign goalkeepers
Foreign goalkeepers will be allowed to play in South Korean professional football from next year when a ban on signing them is ended after 27 years. The ban has been in place since 1999 and was introduced to help develop homegrown keepers by ensuring they received enough playing there were only 10 professional clubs in South Korea 26 years ago, compared to the current 26 in the country's top two divisions."Starting in 2026, clubs will be permitted to register foreign goalkeepers," said the Korea Professional Football League."The K-League previously restricted their participation beginning in 1996 and introduced a full ban in 1999 to encourage the development of domestic goalkeepers, as most clubs at the time relied on foreign players in the position."
South China Morning Post
14 hours ago
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
South Korea lifts 26-year ban on foreign goalkeepers in the K League
A 26-year ban on foreign goalkeepers in South Korea's top football league has been lifted for the start of the 2026 season. Only Korean goalkeepers have been allowed to play in the K League, the oldest professional domestic league in Asia, since 1999. The rule was introduced in a bid to protect homegrown talent when there were only 10 professional clubs. The K League announced after a board meeting in Seoul this week that because there were now 26 professional clubs in the top two tiers of competition, there was enough room for international goalkeepers. 'The increase in the number of clubs means that there are enough opportunities for domestic goalkeepers to play even if foreign goalkeepers are allowed,' the board said in a statement. 'We considered the fact that with foreign player registrations restricted, the salary increase rate of domestic goalkeepers has increased disproportionately to outfield players.' There were reportedly concerns, because of the increased size of modern rosters which contain three or four goalkeepers, that there was a shortage of quality keepers in the country.
