'A step backward' - Ex-Flamengo chief blasts CBF foreign player limit in potential blow to Memphis Depay & overseas stars

The Brazilian Football Confederation's decision to gradually reduce overseas player quotas has sparked fierce debate among top-flight executives. The new directive will scale back the limit from nine imported players per matchday squad to just five by 2030. Announced on Monday, the protectionist measure passed by a wide majority, with only Flamengo and Bahia formally voting against the structural overhaul.

Braz, an instrumental figure throughout Flamengo's trophy-laden era between 2019 and 2024, has heavily criticised the regulatory shift as counterproductive and regressive.

Expressing his frustration at the governing body's stance via ESPN Brazil, Braz stated: "I view what the CBF has introduced regarding foreign player restrictions in this country with bewilderment. This form of market protectionism has never worked anywhere, it will not work here, and it will contribute nothing to Brazilian football."

Emphasising the reality of the international transfer market, the former director added: "The market is globalised worldwide; trying to go against that direction is ineffective. This will rapidly drive Brazilian football into regression."

National football authorities insist regulatory intervention was essential after foreign player numbers in the top flight surged to a record 172 this season. That influx pushed the league's average age up to 28.5 years while drastically restricting first-team minutes for emerging domestic talent. Alongside trimming foreign quotas, the CBF will require all clubs to register a minimum of 25 under-23 players within their senior squads.

Elite Brazilian teams must move quickly before 2027 to rein in their foreign signings and reorder squad hierarchies. The clampdown threatens to unsettle high-profile imports, casting a shadow over Depay's long-term future at Corinthians, despite his contract running until June 2028. Securing compliance will force sporting directors to invest heavily in academy pipelines ahead of the strict under-23 deadline.