After almost a month off Non-FIFA Football Updates is back
for 2014. Apologies for the lack of updates –sometimes real life can take over!
In this first post of the year we’ll sum
up the events of the last few weeks, of which there have been many, below. We hope
to go back to normal from now on and have updated our fixtures and results sections. Finally, if you think you could contribute to the blog then please
get in touch via the contacts on the right hand side of the site.
FIFA allow Kosovo to play friendlies
On January 13th a FIFA Emergency
Committee confirmed a set of regulations which allow the Kosovo national team
to play member nations in friendlies.
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| Patience..Kosovo have had to wait |
Meetings between the Football Association
of Serbia (FSS) and the Football Federation of Kosovo (FFK) had been on-going
for 2 years via FIFA. A set of regulations were drawn up which allowed Kosovar
clubs and representative teams to play internationals.
The regulations state that representative
teams of the FFK may not display national symbols (flags, emblems etc) or play
national anthems. However, they are allowed to wear or display kit or equipment
bearing the name 'Kosovo' as well as the symbol of a star of the size of the
letter 'o' in the name 'Kosovo'.
Also, matches against teams from or
representing countries of the former Yugoslavia are not allowed and any games
to be played in Kosovo must be approved by FIFA and the FSS with advanced
warning.
Sepp Blatter descried the agreement as a “major
boost” and the FFK are expected to play during the next international break in
March. It is still unclear whether players such as Xherdan Shaqiri and Valon Behrami
will play – we drew up a potential Kosovo team in November.
Following the agreement FIFA received a
request from the Republica Srpska football association to play against Serbia
in friendlies. Although the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina
officially declared it has no objection FIFA did not act.
OFC hit back at claims of Tuvalu neglect
In December the Oceania Football
Confederation declared their support for Tuvalu after claims from Dutch Support
Tuvalu Foundation worker Paul Driessen that there was a lack of help and
communication.
OFC General Secretary Tai Nicholas says his
organisation is doing everything it can to help Tuvalu and that the lack of
infrastructure in the country is the main problem.
Tuvalu's campaign to join FIFA has been
backed for the last four years by a group of sympathisers from the Netherlands,
including Driessen, who co-ordinated a recent tour of Europe.
Following Driessen’s claims Nicholas hit
back saying "It's very disappointing that he makes these comments in the
media when he knows full well what the requirements are”.
He went on to explain that the OFC “provide
financial grants to them every year, provide technical courses, footballs,
coaching courses”. The main problem
according to Nicholas was the lack of hotel and stadium, as well as a lack of
formal application to FIFA.
Comfortable festive victories for Spanish
autonomous regions
In the 2 games we missed during the
Christmas period Catalonia and the Basque Country both won comfortably against
FIFA opposition.
With a team containing Barcelona stars Gerard
Piqué and Cesc Fàbregas the Catalans saw off Cape Verde 4-1 in Barcelona
despite going 1-0 down to a 10th minute Djaniny goal.
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| Comfy...Catalonia ran out 4-1 winners |
However a remarkable 3 goals in 4
first-half minutes from Espanyol forward Sergio García (2) and Bojan Bojan
Krkić meant that the non-FIFA side led at the break. After a raft of substitutes in the second period
Osasuna striker Oriol Riera made it 4 on his Catalonia debut.
At the new San Mamés in Bilbao an
accomplished Basque Country performance saw them thrash Peru 6-0, 12 months
after racking up the same amount of goals against Bolivia.
A weakened Peruvian side went behind to a
first-half brace from Aritz Aduriz, his 8th and 9th goals
for the non-FIFA team, and a Roberto Torres goal before the break.
In the second half Real Sociedad’s Imanol
Agirretxe netted twice before Markel Susaeta capped off the victory in the 80th
minute.
French Football Federation cancel Coupe de l’Outre-Mer
After 3 editions the Coupe de l’Outre-Mer, for French
overseas territories, has been cancelled by the French Football Federation.
The biennial competition was held for the first time in 2008
and was last won by Réunion in 2012. The event also saw Saint Pierre &
Miquelon compete internationally for the first time and it is hard to see them
on the world stage again.
After Tahiti’s journey to the Confederations Cup and recent
strong performances by Guadeloupe and Martinique in CONCACAF competitions the
cancellation will come as a disappointment to the 8 association who competed. Despite
the frustration a potential June friendly between French Guiana and Réunion has
been mooted.
New non-FIFA governing body announces first tournament
New non-FIFA governing body
ConIFA have announced a big line-up for their maiden competition, the World
Football Cup, to be held in Sweden this summer.
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| New order..ConIFA have big plans for 2014 |
The Southern Sami city of Östersund
will host the event with no fewer than 12 teams, beating the N.F.-Board’s largest
VIVA World Cup tally of 9, competing. Hosts Sápmi, who haven’t played for 2
years, are part of a line-up that includes a mix of former VIVA World Cup
participants and new non-FIFA teams.
3 time VIVA World Cup winners
Padania and 2012 champions Kurdistan will play in Sweden along with Zanzibar,
Quebec, Darfur, Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, Tamil Eelam, Aramean Suryoye,
Occitania and a new Manx team called Ellan Vallin.
The competition will take place
one week before the FIFA World Cup from June 1st-9th with
the draw set to take place in the next few weeks. Should all teams feature in Östersund
then the finals have the potential to be the most successful non-FIFA event to
date.
The N.F.-Board is yet to announce
the venue for their 2014 VIVA World Cup which now looks increasingly unlikely
to happen. The organisations have been at loggerheads ever since former members
of the N.F.-Board left to set up ConIFA last year.
