Different Leagues have different regulations for players from abroad. Some of them are collected here.
There are only a few leagues by now but hopefully more soon.
Please mail the regulations of your country or if there are any false entries.
Italy (at first until season 2003/2004) :
player union want a foreign player limit (including EC)
clubs don't want a foreign player limit (including EC)
third division teams have to name 4 Italian players aged under 20 for match day
fourth division teams have to name 5 Italian players aged under 20 for match day
Clubs in Serie C and below are not allowed to sign non-EC players
maximum of five non-EC players allowed, three of them in a league match
Serie A and B clubs will be allowed to recruit one additional non-EU player before 31 August 2002 deadline. Until further notice from 1 September 2002 no further signings from outside the EU will be accepted.
Spain :
6 none European players can be signed
only 4 are allowed to play on the pitch during match day
only 3 can be named for match day -> starting 2005
player union wants that clubs have to name at least 6 Spanish players
for starting formation. This caused by Luis van Gaal who had only
3 Spanish players in his starting formation.
players from South America get a Spanish status after 2 years playing in a Spanish division
starting 2003: 4 none European players can be signed
Third division team are only allowed to sign Spanish and EC players
France :
5 non EC-players can be signed
5 non EC-players are allowed to play on the pitch during match day
there is no limit for players from former French colonies
England :
no foreign player limit but players need a work permission for the first year. This work permission
will be renewed if the player played over 75% of all matches.
Netherlands :
no foreign player(non EC) limit
high minimum wage must be paid. This should stop clubs from buying average foreign players
no future planes for setting a foreign player limit
Belgium :
no foreign player(non EC) limit
Austria :
5 non European players are allowed to play on the pitch
during match day
7 none European players can be signed
talks and suggestions about changing the limit
League clubs want to name 8 non-EU players for match day
Portugal :
6 none European players can be signed
only 4 are allowed to play on the pitch during match day
players from Brazil have an EC status
talks about changing the limit
Germany :
5 none European players can be signed
only 3 are allowed to play on the pitch during match day
there`s a trick : more than 5 non EC players can be signed if
they get an amateur status
Non-EC players in a 1st and 2nd Bundesliga club's amateur team are no longer allowed to name for match day. (only for players signed after 20th January 2003)
players from UEFA countries have an EC status
teams must have 12 German players in the team
Regional-League (3.division) team and below are not allowed to sign non-European players
Greece :
there is a limit of 5 foreign players for every team
only 5 are allowed to play on the pitch during match day
Turkey :
8 foreign players can be signed
only 5 are allowed to play on the pitch during match day
6 can be named for match day
F.Y.R. Macedonia
Second division teams can not have foreign players in their squads
Latvia
no limit for foreign players in Premier League and 1st Division
only 5 are allowed to play on the pitch during match day