Spain hits 2030 World Cup bid snag after new political snub for Kosovo
KEIR RADNEDGE REPORTS: Any Spanish dreams about bidding to host the 2030 World Cup finals have been undermined by the country’s government.
Football federation leaders have talked optimistically about a possible bid in tandem with either neighbour Portugal and/or both Portugal and serial campaign loser Morocco.
However, one of the conditions of hosting is a government guarantee that all officials, fans and national symbols of all possible competing nations will be respected and permitted — and the Spanish government has just refused to do so in the footballing case of Kosovo.
Benidorm and Alcoy had been due next month to host qualifying matches for group five which features Spain’s own team, Ukraine, Greece and Kosovo.
However Spain does not recognize Kosovo’s independence, achieved amid the collapse of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Thus the government refused to permit the use of a Kosovar flag and national anthem even though the state is a member of both world federation FIFA and European governing body UEFA.
UEFA has thus stripped Spain of host rights and, as long as the government position remains unchanged, it will be impossible for the country to pursue any major football competitions.
That would include the 2030 World Cup for which a British/Irish bid is expected to compete against a South American cohosting quartet of Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay and Chile.
Asked about the under-17 tournament, a UEFA spokesperson said: “We confirm that these U17 matches will not be played in Spain, as the national symbols (flag and anthem) of Kosovo are not recognised/authorised in the country.”
Nyon, UEFA’s home near Geneva in Switzerland, will be the new venue.
Precedents
This is not the first time Spain has refused to recognise Kosovo in a sporting context. The issue marred last year’s staging in Spain of both the World Karate Championships and the Mediterranean Games. The Spanish government refused to permit Kosovo national symbols.
However the Kosovar football federation was not prepared to suffer such political discrimination and appealed for the RFEF president – Luis Manuel Rubiales – to intercede with his government. In vain.
A Kosovo federation statement said: “President Agim Ademi’s insistence that our national team will be presented with all the symbols in these matches . . . was unacceptable to the Spanish authorities.
“During the UEFA Congress, president Ademi has asked his Spanish counterpart, Luis Rubiales, to use his influence on Spanish institutions not to hinder the entry of our expedition into any form but this has not succeeded . . . as a result the European football federation decided to withdraw organisation from the Spanish federation.”
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