Turkish Süper Lig set to reduce foreign players as of 2024-25
Fenerbahçe's Eden Dzeko is challenged by Galatasaray's Victor Nelsson during the Turkish Süper Lig match at the Ülker Stadium, Istanbul, Türkiye, Dec. 24, 2023. (Getty Images Photo)


The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has unleashed a strategic game-changer, announcing a phased reduction in the number of foreign players gracing the Süper Lig squads over the next five seasons, commencing from the 2024-2025 season.

In an official statement, the TFF declared, "Beginning with the 2024-2025 season, the quota for foreign players on first team lists during the first triumvirate of seasons (2024-2025, 2025-2026 and 2026-2027) will shift from 14 to 12.

Subsequently, in the ensuing two seasons (2027-2028 and 2028-2029), the cap drops further to 11.

Notably, no restrictions will apply to matchday lineups.

Winds of change are sweeping through Turkish football as the TFF abolishes the restriction on the number of foreign players permitted in the starting 11 for Süper Lig teams.

Henceforth, teams will have the liberty to compose their entire starting lineup from a pool of foreign talents.

In a bid to foster efficiency in the utilization of transfer budgets, the TFF has trimmed the maximum number of players on the first team list from 30 to 26.

The TFF is focused on reshaping the Süper Lig and nurturing local talent.

A mandatory provision dictates that, in the initial three seasons, a minimum of two out of the 14 players eligible for the national football team must have received training from the club academy.

This quota increases to at least three players in the subsequent two seasons.

Furthermore, the TFF has mandated that, in a five-season span, a minimum of five out of the 14 players eligible for the National Team should have been nurtured in local academies.

A novel initiative kicks off in the 2024-2025 season, where a significant portion of the fund fees accrued from foreign player transfers will be funneled back into the league as a "local football incentive fund."

This fund will be a monetary catalyst, rewarding clubs cultivating and field players eligible for the national football team.