[2] The 2003 Kolpak ruling ruled in favour of EU status in sports applying also to EU-based citizens of nations which have an Association Agreement with the EU but are not members; the major effect of this was due to the Cotonou Agreement, which spurred European naturalisation of players from the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States.
[5] Though the United Kingdom signed a Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the EU following Brexit, British players are not automatically considered EU qualified:[6] in 2023, British footballer Tosin Adarabioyo reportedly applied for a Nigerian passport so that he could transfer to an EU league,[7] while in 2022 dual-national England international Lucy Bronze was registered as Portuguese when moving to Barcelona.
[10][11] The concern of EU status predominantly affects young players who may otherwise find it hard to meet visa requirements.
[13] In Finland, Iceland and the Czech Republic, there were no registration limits for professional non-EU players, but a club could only field three.
[13] Following Brexit, all non-British players must meet requirements of a points-based system to play in British leagues.