The US magazine Forbes deals with Basque-related topics on a rather frequent basis, and we’ve been bringing them all to you.
This week, we came across another article referring to our country. In it, Henry Flynn analyzes the desire for the Basque Football Federation to get its own national side, to be able to compete on the international stage, and the unwillingness of FIFA and UEFA to allow them to be a full member with all rights in those organiztions.
They argue that this is due to the fact that the Basque Country is not an independent country recognized by the international community, all while forgetting that several national sides representing states that are not independent are officially recognized by FIFA. Among them, but not limited to them, are: Macao, Hong Kong, Gibraltar, Kosovo, Tahiti, Curaçao, and Martinique. Then, of course, there are the “European classics”: Wales, Scotland, England, and the Faroe Islands.
So, there must be something else at play. And that would have to be the Royal Spanish Football Federation’s opposition. It’s obvious that whether a federation is accepted or not depends on the interests of the “godfathers” who support the petitions. At least then FIFA would be honorably not trying to fool anyone, nor insulting their intelligence, by using blatantly unsustainable arguments. At least say clearly that the reason the Basque Football Federation is not accepted is because that would be “breaking up Spain” regarding something truly important to Spaniards: football.
Forbes – 3/8/2021 – USA
An Official Basque Soccer Team Would Flourish, But FIFA And UEFA Still Oppose
La Liga is home to a wealth of Spanish players, but not all want to play under the same flag. Many from Bilbao, Pamplona, and San Sebastián, for instance, play for a Basque national side. But despite its efforts to become official, the latest coming last week (Spanish), it keeps hitting its head against a brick wall.
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Last Updated on Aug 8, 2021 by About Basque Country
