Another Mercenary? Cudicini looks at playing for Wales

[beachesl]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/wales/3874699.stm

excerpt:

"Chelsea's Italian goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini could be a target for Wales manager Mark Hughes. Cudicini qualifies to play for the home nations later this month having lived in Britain for the requisite five years.
"I'm sure Mark and his squad would consider it if the situation did arise," FAW secretary general David Collins told BBC Wales Sport.
Cudicini has already ruled out the possibility of playing for England.
He believes England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson already has enough goalkeeping options. "
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comment: I think the article and the FAW have drawn some unjustifiable conclusions. Cudicini has lived in England for several years, but never in Wales, which I think is essential without a close ancestor having been born there.

http://www.fifa.com/fifa/handbook/circulars/PS%20901%20EN.pdf

This is the copy of the official circular sent out by FIFA after their emergency "Ailton" meeting on March 16, 2004.

The relevant portion refers to the following requirement (short of birth/parent's birth/grandparents birth) to represent a country:

"has lived continuously for at least two years on the territory of the relevant Association"

The relevant Association would be Wales, not the UK. But, there always seem to be grey areas when it comes to FIFA.

Oh well, maybe he can play for England, England is definitely
short of decent goalkeepers now.

The Regulations to the FIFA Statutes that governs the situation generally (which does not include the March changes, but does include the changes in October, 2003 "the "Kanoute ammendments", that allow one change in national teams anytime as long as not having played for an A senior team or any team after 21 of the first country):

http://www.fifa.com/fifa/statutes/statutesdocs/FIFA_statutes_10_2003_E.pdf

(see Part VII, Article 15 of the Regulations, at page 59)

[dfb547490]

If I was Erikson I'd be trying like hell to get this guy to play for England. He's far better than David James or whatever crap they have in goal.

[adri]

cudicini has said he could never play for any country but italy.

[nicephoras]

Also, Carlo wouldn't really be a mercenary. I believe he has an English girlfriend, has lived in England for a while, and his best seasons careerwise, by FAR have been in England.
This is not the Ailton situation.

[Auxodium]

Has he played for Italy before? :o

[adri]

no.

[Gordon EF]

All home nations have an agreement not to select players for international matches if they do not qualify for that nation.

For example, David Beckham could have played for England, Scotland, Wales or N.I, as he qualifies as a citizen of the UK. But under the agreement, he can only play for England. Cudicini, under the agrement, can only play for England.

[beachesl]

That was only for truly British players, in terms of blood link to the home country within Great Britain.

The difference is explained in this excerpt from a bbc article at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/3522983.stm
--------------------------------------------------------------------
"The British agreement was signed in 1993 by Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

It states that a player with a British passport can only represent a country with which he has a bloodline link, either himself, a parent or a grandparent.

The only exception is where a player has no such link to any of the four countries, and Taylor added: 'Any special cases will continue to be considered by the SFA Board.' "
------------------------------------------------------------------

For foreign-born players like Cudicini and Amoruso (who may play for Scotland), it was understood that this arrangement wouldn't apply.
Amoruso did live in Scotland for more than two years when he played for Rangers: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/scotland/3506567.stm