Player Eligibility and Switching National Teams: Case Studies & General Discussion

In my opinion, if those FA's payed for the health, education and actual all the time spent by those players and their respective families (whom also did great sacrifices for themselves and who supported their children all the way, from childhood to grown up youths, and whom actually are whom most spent on their children since they started playing football, at about their 3rd or 4th year of age), giving all of them very good jobs (at the FA's expense), in order that they could afford their living in their country (which I believe has a very high living cost), in very good homes and neighbourhoods mixed in equal conditions to the local citizens (take in mind that they went there in the first place cause they were seeking for a better future for themselves and most of the time without much money), then I believe that the local FA can really ask for something in return.

If not so, then forget it.

Whom are we trying to fool here ?
If what I described above was really how things were back there, those players would never even think of playing for anyone else.

 

Luiz Adriano getting an Ukraine passport and willing to play for Ukraine if they call him. Dont know if Ukraine wants him but doubt that he ever gets called by brasil even though he deserves it.



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They would equally get discarded by the NT, if it were the case, as it actually happens to most of those players of a foreign origin whom don`t make it to the end. In which case their respective families would have asumed the costs all by their own. For those players, it is still debatable if they could have made it anyway to pro's, with or without the assistance of the local NT.

Sure, but most of the times, those families arrived at their own expenses, without any help at all from the local FA, whom only appeared at scene, once those players started showing some potential (before this ever happens, the local FA cared peanuts on those players behalf).

No, they don`t provide jobs for them, as it was the parents of those children, whom took the decission to put them there in the first place, and if ever they felt that their children weren`t given what they were paying for, they could always change them from one institution to another one ( this is the same as it happens all through the world, btw). Up till the 12 years of age of the players ( I'm not sure if it is 12 years or if it is more), there is no formation fee, but usually at this age, those who have certain potential to be succesful, will receive all sort of good treatment by the clubs (at this point if the child has potential, it is very likely that everything will be free or at very low cost for them (for its family), as from this age till their 21st birthday, those clubs get granted that formation fee (which grants a certain percentage from the transactions of players for each and every one of the years the player remained with them, since then, if the child evolves into a pro player and wins lots of money.

Of course not every 12 year old child with potential ends being pro, which is really the cost that clubs must pay, in order to get those who will. This is how it somehow works in almost all the world, so there is really nothing special from one FA in relation to another one (the only diference among them, is the amount each one of them is really willing to invest in the system). Francly, I don`t know how the Swiss or Australian FA's work with their respective associated clubs, but I believe (I may be wrong though), they receive their share too, but directly from their respective associated clubs. After all, whenever a player is sold from one club to another one, it is the local FA's, the ones who must sign the trade papers which will be sent to FIFA.

 

His case was special, as he had played for Germany U21, before the begining of the rule that limited the possible switch from NT`s, which only begun after 2004, in which case he needed FIFA to clear him up in order to be able to play for the USA, according to the new rules that FIFA was implementing at the time being, which for him happened in 2009, as you said so. This doesn`t mean that the 21 years of age limit, doesn`t exist, as it stands as today.
You got to remember that before 2002, no NT switch was even allowed for anyone. Before this year, the cap-tie rule, had no exceptions or special cases allowed.

 

Just when you think you know the rules about the "one time switch," you run across a case that doesn't seem to make sense. I started reading about George Mourad, a Syrian/Swede whose appearance caused Syria to be disqualified from WCQ for "playing a friendly with Sweden." http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/in...qualified-by-fifa-over-ineligible-player.html

That seemed to go against the FIFA eligibility rules we have learned over the last few years.

Well, turns out that was wrong. Yes, George played a friendly for Sweden, but, no one bothered to mention that he had represented Sweden in the UEFA U21 qualification tournament back in 2003. See http://www.uefa.com/teamsandplayers/players/player=69855/profile/index.html

*That* tournament, not the friendly, is reason that George needed to file a one-time switch to play for Syria.

 

Jones has been capped for the full senior German NT, when he was 27 years old. He didn't ask for a switch until early 2009.

Anyway, the 21 years rule was abolished in 2009, here it is directly from FIFA's site:
http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/organisation/bodies/congress/news/newsid=1065926/index.html

 

Because you're only thinking of one scenario. How about the players that hung around and waited for their NT to give them a call up but were passed over a few times. Should they have to wait and wait possibly forever? Should they have to pay a fee if they go to another country? Consider France's setup. They have hundreds of players going through their INF academy a large percentage of which are dual nationals. Only a few of them will go to the full team. Should all of those players have to pay a fee to go to another country? I know what France would prefer. They would prefer that those players hang around forever at their beck and call in the off chance that injuries or a sudden upswing in form make those players desirable. However, it really isn't fair for the player.

In the end it's like jilted lovers. Each side has their story and it would be ridiculous to ask FIFA to figure out when a compensation would be fair or not.

 

Absolutely... the reason the rule changed years ago was to prevent "predatory" capping. Giving all your promising dual citizens youth caps and then not worrying about them. Setting your national team future based on one youth cap at age 17 seems a bit heavy handed. FIFA wants the best players to be playing for a national team and for the national teams to be as good as they can be.

 

He's already capped by Brasil isnt he?



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Friendlies don't tie you to a country, even if you later acquire another citizenship.

The only things that tie you are:

* Playing in a youth competition (UEFA Uxx, U17 WC qualifying, etc.) -- that's a provisional cap tie and you can only switch if you hold another citizenship at the time you played
* Playing in a full competition (Confed Cup, WCQ, etc.) -- that ties you permanently
* Applying to switch federations when you are provisionally cap tied (even if you never play for the gaining fed)

 

Got it if they were unofficial games he can still switch..... Imagine Luiz Adriano for Ukraine, Diego Costa for Spain, Douglas for Holland. Almost all the top teams with brasilians in it.


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A.J. DeLaGarza who has 2 caps with the US, is switching to Guam as his NT, though he has no idea when he will play with Guam and has kept the door open to a US call-up.

http://www.lagalaxy.com/news/2013/0...am-he-looks-pursue-his-dream-international-so

Even if he did play with Guam in the upcoming cup matches, he wouldn't be tied to Guam permanently. Cap-tying opportunities can be few and far between for some countries.

 

I like Diego Costa but he is not such a big loss but leo baptistao i think would be a bigger loss if spain caps him which the already hinted they will.



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You really think someone is going to put up with the grief that he's catching from some in Iceland (and even the US) to "retire" from the NT at age 24?

 

Boateng had a "temporary retirement". Just like Landon Donovan took a three month sabbatical. In both cases this is just a player of stature getting away with stuff because of their status not because of their dual nationality.

 

In my opinion little countries like Switzerland who are developing good youth players, should receive a compensation because they have spent a lot of money to develope these players and Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia or Albania received developed players by Switzerland without spending an euro.

Big countries like France also loose many players who play for many african countries, but most of them havent enough level to play with France. If they have had a posiblity to play with France, they would not play for african teams.

There are also curious cases like Amorebieta , Tuñez or Julio Alvarez who only were born in Venezuela , but they returned inmediately to Spain , their parents are spaniards , they have been living all his life in Spain, and they dont speak "venezuelean" but they play for Venezuela, and in the other hand, Danny who was born in Venezuela and was living there until 15 , plays for Portugal.

FIFA also have strange decisions . Equatorial Guinea is full of 100% brazilian , nigerian , caboverdean players and FIFA allowed them to play for Equatorial Guinea , but they penalized Equatorial Guinea because Emilio Nsue decided to play with them . Emilio Nsue was born in Spain , and he has living in Spain all his life , but he is at least 50% equatoguinean by origin, and he is more equatoguinean than many players who plays for Equatorial Guinea .

Finally, if Messi hadnt come to Spain, he would have been a worse players , or even he wouldnt have been a football player , because his heigh would have been of 1,50-1,60. In the best case , he would have been a player like
Buonanotte.

 

I took a quick look at the Emilio Nsue case. He played for Spain 23 times in UEFA U17 & U19 & U21 competitions. If he didn't file a one times switch (at which point FIFA would have confirmed - or denied - his eligibility with Equatorial Guinea), then of course he can't make the switch.

I do think FIFA should have said why he is ineligible, in case that isn't the situation, but the one time switch would have fixed that.