Real Madrid midfielder Ceballos is currently at a major crossroads in his career, and whether he stays or goes is not only a matter of his personal future, but could also have a major impact on
Real Madrid soccer team
of UEFA's registration rules have a major impact. With the departure of Spanish-born players such as Nacho, Kepa and Joselu, the decision of Ceballos has become particularly crucial.
According to UEFA regulations, clubs participating in European competitions must include at least eight players from their own national youth programs in their registration lists for each season, of which at least four must be from their own clubs' youth programs. This rule is aimed at encouraging clubs to emphasize the construction of the local youth training system.
Real Madrid has a certain amount of flexibility with regard to the criterion of "four players from the club's youth". According to UEFA's interpretation, a player who has played three seasons for his club between the ages of 15 and 21 is considered to meet this criterion. Therefore, in addition to Carvajal, Ceballos and Fran Garcia, players like Vinicius, Rodrigo, Valverde and Camarvinga are also considered to meet the requirements.
However, Real Madrid's situation is tighter when it comes to the "8 must come from the country's youth" rule. If Ceballos leaves the club, and with Vallejo almost certain to leave, Real Madrid may need to find a suitable replacement in the Castilla youth camp to fulfill this requirement.
Of course, Real Madrid have another option, and that is to accept a penalty from UEFA. Failure to meet the regulations will result in the club being reduced in the number of first team registrations. Currently, Real Madrid's first team has 21 players, and even if the registration quota is reduced by one, there is still enough space to accommodate new recruits.
According to the analysis of As, the trend of Real Madrid's first team shows a clear "de-Spanishization". If Ceballos finally chooses to leave, the number of Spanish players in the first team will be further reduced to only Carvajal, Vazquez and Fran Garcia. This will undoubtedly bring new challenges to the club's localization strategy.
