Not Every Child Will Have the Same Opportunity to Play Football

From next season, not every child in Prague will have the same opportunity to play football.

A new rule will limit the number of non-EU players who can participate in competitive matches. For many clubs, it may have little impact. For Prague Raptors, it will affect children who live in Prague, go to school here and simply want to play football with their friends.

This is a significant change from previous seasons. While regulations already existed regarding non-EU players, they only applied once a team had more than five non-EU players. In grassroots and academy football, exemptions were routinely granted, meaning these limits did not apply in practice. From next season, that will change, with a maximum of three non-EU players permitted to participate in every competitive match.

This isn't about bringing players to the Czech Republic to play football.

This is about children who already live here.

Children whose families have made Prague their home. Children whose parents work in the city. Children who attend Czech and international schools. Children who train every week, wear the same shirt as their teammates and proudly represent the same club.

From next season, some of those children may no longer be able to participate in competitive matches—not because of their ability, commitment or attitude, but because the maximum number of non-EU players has already been reached.

That is incredibly difficult to understand.

We have never agreed with restrictions on non-EU players in amateur football. When discussions centred around adult football, the people affected were adults. While we disagreed with the principle, adults have choices. They can look for another club, another competition or make different decisions about where they play.

Children don't have those choices.

A child shouldn't have to wonder why they trained all week but can't play on Saturday.

A parent shouldn't have to explain that their son or daughter has been left out because of a regulation based on nationality.

That isn't what grassroots football should be.

Grassroots football is where children fall in love with the game.

It is where they learn teamwork, resilience, confidence and respect. It is where friendships are formed and communities come together. At its best, football is one of the most inclusive sports in the world.

It should never become a place where children are treated differently because of where they were born.

Prague Raptors has always been proud to reflect the city we call home. Prague is an international city. Thousands of families from across the world live and work here. Their children grow up here, attend school here and become part of the local community.

Our football club reflects that community.

Walk around our training sessions and you won't see different nationalities.

• You'll see teammates.

• Children laughing together.

• Children encouraging one another.

• Children celebrating goals together.

• Children learning together.

That's what football should look like.

We understand that football authorities have a responsibility to make decisions they believe are in the best interests of the game.

But we struggle to understand how limiting opportunities for children who live, learn and grow up in Prague helps grassroots football or youth development.

We also believe there is an important distinction between children who move to another country to pursue football and children who simply happen to live here because of their family's work, education or life circumstances.

Those children are not here because of football.

Football is simply where they have found their second home.

This isn't just about Prague Raptors.

It's about every child who calls Prague home and wants the same opportunity as their teammates.

We hope this decision will be reconsidered.

Not because it affects one club.

But because grassroots football should be about giving every child the chance to play, to belong and to be part of a team.

We acknowledge that the regulations also apply to EU candidate countries. Regardless of how the rule is defined, our concern remains unchanged: children who live in Prague should not have fewer opportunities to play grassroots football because of their nationality.

Children don't choose where they're born. They should never have fewer opportunities because of it.