Eligibility Rules, Okay

[DannyInvincible]

There's some talk today that Adnan Januzaj would be keen to switch from Belgium to Kosovo if/when Kosovo is recognised by FIFA, despite already having represented Belgium competitively at senior level. Although I'm not aware of anything in the statutes to cover this situation, I understand (from the reports) that FIFA would permit him to make such a switch as the option of Kosovo wasn't available to him when he first committed to Belgium.

I think I recall we discussed some precedent examples of this before in this thread. Was having a quick look but couldn't find the exact discussion on it. Can anyone recall?

[NeverFeltBetter]

The lengthy enough discussion on Januzaj started here: http://foot.ie/threads/147164-Eligib...=1#post1713805

[DannyInvincible]

Cheers! It was this post of geysir's I was looking for:

Actually, it's just common sense, considering that only players from the tiny Serbian ethnic community inside Kosovo declare for Serbia, the rest declare for anybody but Serbia, but mostly Albania.

Kosovo stuff
Kosovo status
It is understood that once Kosovo is a full FIFA member, any eligible players will have a window of opportunity in which to switch allegiances from their current teams to Kosovo.

Montenegro stuff Montenegro wiki page
the chapter Current Squad
In international football, players can normally only play for one national team once they play in all or part of any match recognised as a full international by FIFA. However, an exception is made in cases where one or more newly-independent states are created out of a former state. Based on current FIFA rules, a player will be eligible to play for Montenegro, even if he had previously represented Serbia and Montenegro or any other country, if at least one of the following statements applies:^[9]

• He was born in Montenegro.
• At least one of his parents and/or at least one of his grandparents was born in Montenegro.
• He has lived in Montenegro continuously for any two-year period.

Due to mixed ancestries, it is likely that a high percentage of the players eligible to play for Montenegro will also remain eligible to play for Serbia, and vice versa. However, once they have played for either Serbia or Montenegro in any competitive fixture, they are no longer eligible to play for any other nation.

There is a linked reference to a FIFA pdf document on the status transfer of players, maybe there is something more in that document.
But I'm satisfied enough not to pursue it any further

[NeverFeltBetter]

No problem. Januzaj remains an interesting case, notwithstanding his apparent decline from potentially world-class to one of several players left blighted by Van Gaal's tenure (that loan spell to Dortmund was a disaster). He certainly isn't going to be first teaming for Belgium any time soon, but I presume he'd be a shoe-in for Kosovo.

[BonnieShels]

Andrei Kanchelskis (USSR) was a famous one that continued to play on for the succession team (Russia) rather than the newly created motherland team of Ukraine.

[geysir]

Cheers! It was this post of geysir's I was looking for:

Thank you Danny, it's an honour to be quoted by a pro.
AFAIR, Charlie disagreed, but his argument was badly let down due it's heavy dependance on a Sepp Blatter quote.

[Charlie Darwin]

That doesn't sound like me.

[geysir]

Probably your disagreement had much more to do with there being room for doubt and lack of clear precedents, but you also added in a quote from Sepp about the Kosovo eligible players.
But that's the bit I remember, a quote from Sepp and you gave the Sepp quote some credibility due to the reputation of the journalist or newspaper who did the interview, because possibly Sepp's believability factor was absent.
I thought it was humorous at the time, that's why I remember it, no other agenda involved.

[Charlie Darwin]

As far as we were all concerned at the time, Herr Sepp was a paragon of virtue and perhaps the most intelligent and honest man in football.

[geysir]

It has finally come to pass, Kosovo have been admitted into Uefa, It was a close enough vote 28 -24, probably (long time opponent) Platini's absence from the scene helped matters along Kosovo's way.

This article, Kosovo's UEFA Dreams, puts a dampner on a mass exit of Kosovo eligible internationals currently attached to other national teams, "mass defections are unlikely".

[paul_oshea]

That was a close vote, I imagine most from the balkans would have sided with Seriba, it would be interesting to see the breakdown.

As an Irishman, I think it would be difficult for us to vote for Kosovo either.

[paul_oshea]

As far as we were all concerned at the time, Herr Sepp was a paragon of virtue and perhaps the most intelligent and honest man in football.

Everyone but me. Obviously : P

[Stuttgart88]

I imagine most from the balkans would have sided with Serbia

So the Balkans weren't Balkanised?

[Charlie Darwin]

So the Balkans weren't Balkanised?

I'm sure if they were to become balkanised Paul would have predicted it well in advance.

[geysir]

That was a close vote, I imagine most from the balkans would have sided with Seriba, it would be interesting to see the breakdown.

As an Irishman, I think it would be difficult for us to vote for Kosovo either.

I don't know what your irish identity has to do with your difficulties in the matter.
I welcome the Uefa vote to admit Kosovo as a member.

[geysir]

The most significant decision was taken before the vote, that "recognition by a majority of European nations -- rather than UN membership -- is the basis for acceptance into UEFA".

In theory (fanciful) this could pave the way for a region like Catalonia to gain entry to Uefa and then Fifa would have a hard time playing the Spanish FA veto card.

[BonnieShels]

That was a close vote, I imagine most from the balkans would have sided with Seriba, it would be interesting to see the breakdown.

How did you come to that conclusion? I would guess that they probably voted for Kosovo's admittance.

As an Irishman, I think it would be difficult for us to vote for Kosovo either.

Why would that be? I would have thought Ireland would be very pro-self determination.

The breakdown I would wager was something like:

These are the countries that recognise Kosovo:
1 Albania
2 Andorra
3 Austria
4 Belgium
5 Bulgaria
6 Croatia
7 Czech Republic
8 Denmark
9 Estonia
10 Finland
11 France
12 Germany
13 Hungary
14 Iceland
15 Ireland
16 Italy
17 Latvia
18 Liechtenstein
19 Lithuania
20 Luxembourg
21 Macedonia
22 Malta
23 Monaco
24 Montenegro
25 Netherlands
26 Norway
27 Poland
28 Portugal
29 San Marino
30 Slovenia
31 Sweden
32 Switzerland
33 Turkey
34 United Kingdom

Monaco are not UEFA members, the Faroes are not sovereign and the UK are 4 associations (5 if ya count Gibraltar so that would give us a likely scenario of these being the most likely voters):

1 Albania
2 Andorra
3 Austria
4 Belgium
5 Bulgaria
6 Croatia
7 Czech Republic
8 Denmark
9 England
10 Estonia
11 Faroe Islands
12 Finland
13 France
14 Germany
15 Gibraltar
16 Hungary
17 Iceland
18 Ireland
19 Irish FA
20 Italy
21 Latvia
22 Liechtenstein
23 Lithuania
24 Luxembourg
25 Macedonia
26 Malta
27 Montenegro
28 Netherlands
29 Norway
30 Poland
31 Portugal
32 San Marino
33 Scotland
34 Slovenia
35 Sweden
36 Switzerland
37 Turkey
38 Wales

with the following not recognising Kosovo Internationally and therefore most likely to have voted against them at UEFA:

1 Armenia
2 Azerbaijan
3 Belarus
4 Bosnia
5 Cyprus
6 Georgia
7 Greece
8 Israel
9 Kazakhstan
10 Romania
11 Russia
12 Serbia
13 Slovakia
14 Spain
15 Ukraine

So that leaves us 9 short of the 24 that voted against.

If I was to hazard a guess I would plump for:

Albania: have skin in the game and would lose a lot of players
Belgium: have skin in the game and could lose potential players. Also have their own federative and identity problems. Defo not in their interests.
Bulgaria: Russian influence in the FA
Estonia: Russian influence in the FA
Iceland: Russian influence in the FA
Irish FA: Cos they are a shower and not ones into self-determination sorta things
Latvia: Russian influence in the FA
Lithuania: Russian influence in the FA
Turkey: Sher why not. Appease Russia?

[paul_oshea]

I don't know what your irish identity has to do with your difficulties in the matter.
I welcome the Uefa vote to admit Kosovo as a member.

I don't know, in the same way that those might feel agrieved with the North of Ireland.

Kosovo down through the centuries was a serbian stronghold, populated with mostly ethnic serbs.

You could ask those who typically wouldn't like Serbs of other balkan nations, and they would even feel for the Serbs in this one. It feels a bit like Mayo cessating Irish citizenship/nationality and creating their own Independent state Although then again that might not be a bad thing.

@BS I would say you could add Croatia to the no list, Bulgaria and possibly Slovenia too.

[BonnieShels]

I don't know, in the same way that those might feel agrieved with the North of Ireland.

Kosovo down through the centuries was a serbian stronghold, populated with mostly ethnic serbs.

You could ask those who typically wouldn't like Serbs of other balkan nations, and they would even feel for the Serbs in this one. It feels a bit like Mayo cessating Irish citizenship/nationality and creating their own Independent state Although then again that might not be a bad thing.

@BS I would say you could add Croatia to the no list, Bulgaria and possibly Slovenia too.

There is no way in hell that Croatia would have voted against their admittance. No way at all. If Serbia are against something, Croatia are for it. Bulgaria are an obvious possibility. Slovenia like Croatia are not really in the business of being with Serbia on identity things.

[paul_oshea]

There is no love lost between Croatia and Serbia, thats for sure. But many croats would actually see the kosovo thing, in the same way that they recognise much of Herzegovina as Croatian.