Under FIFA rules a player can only play for a country if he is born in that particular nation, his parents or grandparents come from that country or if he has lived for five years continuously on the territory of the association.
There is also the provision for a player with dual nationality to switch countries once before they play a senior international. For example, players born in France to African immigrants can play for France at youth level and then their parent’s country of birth at senior level.
But another FIFA ruling allows Northern Ireland born players to play for the Republic based on the 1998 Good Friday agreement which provided NI born people the opportunity to choose British or Irish nationality.
The practical implication of this is that the Republic of Ireland are allowed to select any NI born player who holds an Irish passport, regardless of whether a player has any relation to Ireland at all.
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While I have no affiliation to either nation, on the face of it such a ruling seems fundamentally unfair. It means that one nation in the Republic of Ireland has the opportunity to choose a side with players from two different jurisdictions.
Devine is not the first player to take advantage of the loophole and play for the Republic.
In recent times Manchester United’s Darron Gibson, Stoke City defender Marc Wilson and Everton youngster Shane Duffy are among several players who have switched allegiances after playing for Northern Ireland at youth level. Admittedly, Duffy did have an Irish grandparent, so he had every right to go across, but the others had no affiliation with the Republic of Ireland.
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If Gibson and Wilson stayed with Northern Ireland they would have been first choice players in their lineup. The question needs to be asked whether these players opted to switch across simply because they thought the Republic was a stronger footballing nation with greater future prospects, instead of playing for a team that may struggle.
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FIFA needs to close this loophole and instruct the FAI to stop picking Northern Ireland born players who have no connection to the Republic so that Northern Ireland can compete on an even playing field.
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