FIFA and Non Sovereign States

[NeverFeltBetter]

Basque FA applies to FIFA: https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2020/1215/1184697-basque-football-federation-asks-fifa-for-recognition/

I assume they haven't a hope, but it raises an interesting question about where the line gets drawn, again. After all, they are a self-governing region of a larger state - a Kingdom united you might say - with a very firm identity of their own.

[pineapple stu]

England, Scotland, Wales and the NI are only in FIFA because there's a very specific legacy clause allowing them to be members.

Not really sure what they're aiming at here - you would imagine that they clearly aren't a country under the current definition ("an independent state recognised by the international community", as noted above), so they've no chance of membership. Are they applying just because to do so was voted on at an AGM?

There's times I wonder what holds Spain together to be honest.

[boynemunich]

Basque FA applies to FIFA: https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2020/1215/1184697-basque-football-federation-asks-fifa-for-recognition/

I assume they haven't a hope, but it raises an interesting question about where the line gets drawn, again. After all, they are a self-governing region of a larger state - a Kingdom united you might say - with a very firm identity of their own.

If their application were to be successful it would add another potentially tricky opponent into the mix for Euro/WC Qualification. Would essentially be Athletic Bilbao.

[pineapple stu]

Another question - and it's rhetorical as I don't think they'll get in - is would Spain refuse to play them?

There's a lot of those "political" clashes which UEFA avoid, and I think it's daft. Let Armenia and Azerbaijan be drawn against each other. Let Spain play Gibraltar and Serbia play Kosovo, like we had to play the North back in the day. You don't get to pick and choose your opponents in qualifying matches.

[NeverFeltBetter]

I assume they would refuse.

I tend to agree on the other point. North and South Korea play each other, and have actually done so plenty of times. Maybe a neutral ground for ties if there is a fear of nationalist violence or something, but that's as far as I'd go.

[John83]

Yeah, I think if countries want to refuse to play each other, they can default matches and be fined for it. **** 'em if they inject politics into sport.