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LONDON. — Britain’s decision to leave the European Union will not harm the prestige of the world’s most popular domestic soccer competition, the English Premier League said yesterday. Last season 432 European players were registered to play in the 20-team English Premier League — with some of the continent’s biggest names plying their trade with England’s leading clubs.

Although there will be no immediate implications for EU-based players already in the English Premier League, long-term it could potentially be harder for English clubs to sign new players.

However, a spokesman said it was too early to make predictions over what effect Brexit will have. “The Premier League is a hugely successful sporting competition that has strong domestic and global appeal,” the spokesman said.

This will continue to be the case regardless of the referendum result, he added. “Given the uncertain nature of what the political and regulatory landscape might be following the ‘Leave’ vote, there is little point second guessing the implications until there is greater clarity,” the spokesman said.

“Clearly, we will continue to work with Government and other bodies whatever the outcome of any process.”

Currently players from outside the EU have to meet certain requirements before being granted work permits such as having played 30 percent of their previous club’s games in the two years prior to moving.A recent BBC study found that more than 100 Premier League players from countries in the EU would fail to meet the criteria applied to those from outside of Europe.

Britain voted to leave the European Union after a country-wide referendum saw the Brexit campaign take a majority of just under 52 per cent. The ramifications are a long way from being worked out, but the ability for anyone from within the EU to come and work in the UK will surely change – and that could include some top football stars from the English Premier League.

Research has revealed that 108 English Premier League players from the top flight would NOT have been able to sign for their clubs had Britain not been part of the union when they arrived.Looking at the top two divisions in England and Scotland that figure rises to 332 players.

Players who don’t have the requisite number of competitive international caps would not have attained an automatic visa to work in the UK and could have been prevented from making their transfers.

Under current employment rules, any player with an EU passport is free to play in the UK without restriction, while those from outside Europe must meet specific Home Office criteria which depends on how many international appearances they have made and where their country sits in the FIFA rankings.

At this early stage it is unclear what the Leave vote will mean for those Europeans working in this country – but Anthony Martial, Dimitri Payet and N’Golo Kante are among those who would not have been able to play in the Premier League last season, if the UK had not been part of the EU.

Europeans could now be subject to the same immigration rules as non-EU players, under which a player from a top-10 nation has to have played in 30 per cent of their games in the two years prior to the date of application to be granted a work permit.

A player from a nation ranked 11-20 must have played in 45 per cent of international games and that percentage rises to 60 per cent for the next 10 countries, then 75 per cent for nations ranked 31-50. — Reuters.