Im almost certain thats not a rule.
https://www.reevaldo.com/story/2016/9/15/football-work-permit-premier-league-fa-foreign-players
Exceptions Panel
As Reevaldo did not automatically qualify for a GBE through international participation, Paddington requested that the Panel consider what The FA describes as "the player's experience and value" in order to determine whether a GBE should be granted.
The Panel is comprised of three members: a legally qualified chairperson and two independent panel members with "relevant experience at the top level of the game".
The decision whether the Panel should recommend to The FA that a GBE be granted is by majority vote.
The Panel initially takes a points-based approach to determining whether the player should be granted a GBE. If the player scores four or more points against the objective Part A criteria, the Panel will then immediately move on to conduct a subjective review of the information presented by the club and another other information it deems to be relevant.
Part A - Objective Criteria
Criteria | Points |
---|
The transfer fee paid for the player is above the 75th percentile of qualifying transfers.
| 3 |
The transfer fee paid for the player is between the 50th and 75th percentile of qualifying transfers. | 2 |
The player’s wages are above the 75th percentile of qualifying wages.
| 3 |
The player’s wages are between the 50th and 75th percentile of qualifying wages. | 2 |
The player’s current club is in a top league and the player has played in at least 30% of available minutes. | 1 |
The player’s current club has played in the group stages or onwards of a continental competition within the last 12 months and the player has played in at least 30% of the available minutes.
| 1 |
Reevaldo's score
Reevaldo scored six of the possible eight points in Part A, comfortably meeting the four-point threshold. As a result, there was no need to consider Part B.
How did Reevaldo score six points?
The transfer fee paid for the player is between the 50th and 75th percentile of qualifying transfers - two points
- Reevaldo’s transfer fee is an initial £8.4 million, rising to over £13 million with add-ons, many of which are likely to be met.
- The basic £8.4 million fee falls between the 50th and 75th percentile and the total potential fee of over £13 million would be over the 75th percentile.
- However, the Panel will only take into account the basic guaranteed transfer fee. As such, Reevaldo receives two points.
The player’s wages are between the 50th and 75th percentile of qualifying wages – two points
- Reevaldo's basic wage of £40,000 per week falls between the 50th and 75th percentile.
- As such, Reevaldo receives two points.
The player’s current club is in a top league and the player has played in at least 30% of available minutes – one point
- The FA defines “top league” as the six European leagues and two Central and South American leagues which provide the most players to the twenty highest-ranked FIFA teams over the preceding two-year period.
The player’s current club has played in the group stages or onwards of a continental competition within the last 12 months and the player has played in at least 30% of the available minutes – one point
- The FA defines “continental competition” as the Champions League, the Europa League, and the Copa Libertadores.
Despite the fact that Reevaldo scored comfortably above the four-point threshold in Part A, the Panel is under no obligation to recommend to The FA that a GBE be granted. Rather, the Panel has absolute discretion on whether or not to issue a favourable recommendation and is not bound by the points thresholds.
Whilst not relevant to Reevaldo's case, for the sake of completeness, we set out the points-based criteria under Part B below. If a player scores at least five points under both the Part A and Part B criteria, the Panel may grant a GBE, but is under no obligation to do so. If a player scores fewer than five points, the Panel should refuse a GBE unless they are satisfied, through a subjective review, that the player is internationally established at the highest level and that he will make a significant contribution to the development of football at the highest level in the UK.