Javi Gracia will most likely have his work permit application put to an 'exceptions panel' to determine whether or not he will lead Leeds United against Southampton at Elland Road on Saturday afternoon.
The former Watford boss was confirmed as the new head coach at Leeds on Tuesday following a two-week search to find a replacement for Jesse Marsch. And although it seemed that Gracia would be in the dugout for this weekend's vital fixture against the Saints, an ongoing battle to sort out his work permit could scupper those plans.
The Football Association have adopted post-Brexit immigration guidelines that mean any foreign manager arriving in the UK to take charge of a top-flight club must fulfil set criteria to be given what is known as a 'governing body endorsement' (GBE).
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The guidelines set out four key requirements that Gracia must satisfy for a GBE to be granted. 1) He must have overall responsibility for the first team of the club applying for a GBE; 2) He must hold a UEFA professional license or equivalent; 3) He must be filling a vacancy at a managerless club and 4) He must have managed at a club in an FA-determined ‘top league’ for at least 36 months cumulatively - or two years consecutively - within the five year period immediately prior to the date of his application.
Gracia ticks the first three of those boxes without a problem. He is indeed taking charge of the first-team at Leeds, he is a pro-license holder and as we all know, Marsch was sacked over a fortnight ago. However, the Spaniard runs into an issue in the fourth and final stipulation.
Over the last five years, he has spent 18 months at Watford, nine months at Valencia and six months at Al Sadd in Qatar. However, Al Sadd play in the Qatar Stars League and do not meet the criteria for the FA's top leagues. And even if they did, Gracia has accumulated 33 months of management over the past five years, two months shy of the 35 month threshold.
Therefore, for Gracia to obtain a work permit, he will need to send his application to an exceptions panel. Until that process has been completed, he will not be able to take training or manage Leeds on matchdays.
The process in question will see the FA appoint a panel of three members to make a ruling on his application. A £5,000 fee from Leeds will need to be paid for the panel to take place and Gracia will only be granted a GBE should they deem him to be a manager of the highest calibre, and that he will significantly contribute to the development of the game at the top level in England.
Given his 11th-placed finish and run to the FA Cup final with Watford during his first full season in charge, Gracia has already demonstrated that he can contribute significantly.
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