When Saturday Comes - Kosovo dealt a blow in their quest for FIFA recognition

January 2013

Kosovo dealt a blow in their quest for FIFA recognition

Serbia's permission needed for matches

Kosovo's long struggle to be recognised by FIFA and play full international matches were dealt a blow recently. FIFA offered to allow the Football Federation of Kosovo to arrange international friendlies with the understanding that they would need to get Serbian permission first and any games would take place at a neutral venue without any symbols of the Kosovan state. Unsurprisingly, the Kosovan authorities rejected the proposal, as Steve Menary explains on his blog Outcasts! The Lands That FIFA Forgot.

On the subject...

Comments

Comment on 03-01-2013 19:55:25 by Diable Rouge #747166

Diable Rouge

If those grounds had applied in 1921, the Irish Free State would never have gotten off the international football ground, feeling similarly affronted at having to ask English permission, and being actively opposed by Northern Ireland (though it must be conceded that both the FA and IFA were outside FA then). As for lack of uncontested international recognition, both Palestine and Taiwan are full FIFA members, so Kosovo should similarly get the green light.

Comment on 03-01-2013 20:07:06 by Duncan Gardner #747176

Duncan Gardner

Why would the fledgling FAI have needed to grovel to the English FA before breaking away from the existing Irish one?

Comment on 03-01-2013 20:36:43 by Diable Rouge #747200

Diable Rouge

On the grounds mentioned in the article concerning both Kosovo and Scotland.

Comment on 03-01-2013 21:05:14 by Duncan Gardner #747211

Duncan Gardner

You've lost me there DR. When the FAI broke away, neither the English nor Irish FAs were members of FIFA: both suspended their membership during and after WW1 (as did the Scots and Welsh, all four acting in unison), largely as a protest at their wartime enemies being involved.

Comment on 04-01-2013 05:01:12 by Anton Gramscescu #747293

Anton Gramscescu

The problem is UEFA, not Fifa. You have to be a member of a regional confederation before becoming one of FIFA. UEFA changed its rules in the 1990s (after it admitted the faroes) to require UN membership. Kosovo doesn't have it and isn't likely to any time soon. There is, however, nothing to stop Kosovo from becoming a member of the AFC or CONCACAF and achieving fifa membership that way.

Comment on 08-01-2013 22:13:52 by Pat McGatt! #749075

Pat McGatt!

The Pimping Republic of Kosovo used to have friends in high places. Have they gone out of fashion?

Comment on 11-01-2013 11:48:44 by Felicity, I guess so #749944

Felicity, I guess so

This thread reminds me how annoyed I was that the Gibraltar article in WSC this month seems to have deliberately avoided all discussion of wider political contexts. Come on you plucky little outposts of Empire! Give the Falklands a bye into the next Mundial while we're at it, eh?

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Kosovo dealt a blow in their quest for FIFA recognition

Serbia's permission needed for matches

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