Palermo and Reggina say English sides are poaching foreign academy players who are yet to sign as professionals.
Palermo and Reggina say English sides are poaching foreign academy players who are yet to sign as professionals.
The moves are often made with little or no compensation and Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini likened the practice to "pirates taking treasures".
His comments follow Uefa president Michel Platini's pledge to stop the "transfer of minors" between clubs.
The former French international says he will work with the European Commission to try and limit the influx of foreign teenagers, adding: "The first contract a player signs should be with the club who trains him.
"I really don't like it when a club like Lugano, Geneve, Brescia or Nancy train a player and then when they are 16 they are bought by much richer clubs. We're going to fight it."
Those sentiments were echoed by Zamparini, who told BBC Radio 5 Live:
"It's a shame they try to speculate on youngsters when they have the means to buy them when they're fully developed.
"These clubs already have the best players in the world.
"To try to speculate on young players, robbing them from other clubs that live off young players, is wrong." - BBC
'English sides are poachers'
Palermo and Reggina say English sides are poaching foreign academy players who are yet to sign as professionals.
Palermo and Reggina say English sides are poaching foreign academy players who are yet to sign as professionals.
The moves are often made with little or no compensation and Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini likened the practice to "pirates taking treasures".
His comments follow Uefa president Michel Platini's pledge to stop the "transfer of minors" between clubs.
The former French international says he will work with the European Commission to try and limit the influx of foreign teenagers, adding: "The first contract a player signs should be with the club who trains him.
"I really don't like it when a club like Lugano, Geneve, Brescia or Nancy train a player and then when they are 16 they are bought by much richer clubs. We're going to fight it."
Those sentiments were echoed by Zamparini, who told BBC Radio 5 Live:
"It's a shame they try to speculate on youngsters when they have the means to buy them when they're fully developed.
"These clubs already have the best players in the world.
"To try to speculate on young players, robbing them from other clubs that live off young players, is wrong." - BBC
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