The president of Spain's Primera Liga claims English football's reliance on foreign talent is the reason for their poor showing at international level. The fallout from England's woeful World Cup campaign has led to scrutiny of the national game at its grass roots, with concerns over the limited first-team opportunities afforded English players in the top flight held up as a key issue.
Speaking to the Guardian, Jose Luis Astiazaran, head of Spain's Liga Nacional de Futbol Profesional, was critical of the English model, which has led to around 40 per cent English representation in the Premier League, a figure almost half that experienced in Spain's top league.
Spain, the reigning European champions, will contest Sunday's World Cup final against Holland, and Astiazaran believes his country is reaping the rewards of a system that encourages the development of home-grown talent.
"In La Liga there are 77.1 per cent Spanish players, 16.7 per cent European and 6.7 per cent non-European," Astiazaran told the Guardian.
"Our strategy is to work very hard with young home-grown players and to try to have a mix between them and experienced players.
"Why is it not a high number of foreign players in La Liga? Because we invest more and more in young Spanish players than in young foreign players.
"England has many times taken young players from outside who are 14, 16 years old. These kind of players are not English. This is one of the most important differences between Spain and England. We invest in young Spanish players.
"In Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United there are a lot of young Spanish, French and Italian players - maybe this is why at the moment you are not creating young English players."