Did MLS seek/need FIFA approval when bringing Toronoto into the league? I've always thought that FIFA didn't allow clubs from one country to play league-ball in another.
We need a FAQ. It's already done. FIFA doesn't want Celtic and Rangers jumping to the EPL because it would hurt the SPL. FIFA is OK about Toronto plaing in MLS because that helps the Canadian game. See the difference?
Correcto. FIFA can and will make exceptions to its rules if it helps push the game forward. FIFA wants to crack the North American market so MLS is allowed to bend the rules.
To add minor points: Add the fact that FIFA has tried to see if Div 1 league could survive by itself in Canada and has not happened. Canadian teams have played/are playing in other US divisions (i.e., Lynx in USL). Toronto and other Canadian teams are not the only ones to receive such treatment from FIFA.
Canadian teams have been playing in USSF sanctioned pro leagues continuously since 1993 after the collapse of the CSL and prior to that from 1968 to 1985 during the NASL era. Toronto FC is nothing new in that regard so this is not an angle that is going to help Celtic get into the Premiership.
FIFA won't let Celtic and Rangers jump to the EPL because Scotland already has a Div.-1 soccer league (SPL). This is also, in a sense, why teams such as Monaco and Toronto FC play (or will play) in leagues in other countries. Monaco is too small to have a Div.-1 league, so they play in the French league. Canada doesn't have a Div.-1 league, so Toronto was allowed to join the nearest Div.-1 league, MLS. I don't see Canada ever getting a Div.-1 league, because any new teams of that caliber will most likely be MLS expansion or relocation teams.
Not a relevant example. AS Monaco is a full member of the French FA. (There is no Monacan Football Association)
And what all of these teams have in common is that they can't qualify for international competitions through the league. That is the issue Toronto needs to address...
There are rumours that the CSA are about to setup a qualification tournament now that the CONCACAF Champions Cup is being moved to later in the year when it would be easier for Canadian teams to participate:- http://www.canadian-soccer.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=10179 Worth noting that if the three Canadian USL-D1 teams can compete then Toronto FC should be able to as well in the future.
Fresh News on the Canadian Cup: http://www.quebecsoccer.com/article.php?id=691 - 4 Teams / 2 USL, CSL, Amateur (Lynx don't want to participate this year) The CSA is waiting for approval from CONCACAF and has set September 5th as the deadline, otherwise the whole thing might have to be delayed until 2008. Let's hope Jack Warner and Co. award a CCC spot to Canada pronto, it's important that this competition gets off the ground as soon as possible.
Link translated to English by Google:- http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.quebecsoccer.com%2Farticle.php%3Fid%3D691&langpair=fr%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=%2Flanguage_tools
So I guess this isn't going to happen this year? It's probably too difficult for CONCACAF to include the Canadian cup winner for 2007 at this point. Hopefully next year this competition will finally take off. In fact, they should start already this year - CCC spot or not. Just get the competition rolling...
Gretna used to be in the lower english divisions before moving back to the SFA a few seasons ago. Also Welsh teams are in the lower english ones. to answer your question, FIFA doesn't have a problem with it
Derry City which is in Northern Ireland does not play in Northern Ireland's Irish League(IFA-Irish Football Association) but does in the Republic of Ireland's League of Ireland(FAI - Football Association of Ireland).
Well, they are not part of FIFA, but Monaco does have a national team. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monaco_national_football_team
Odd that tiny territories like Andorra, Lichtenstein, San Marino, Faeroes Islands, etc., have national FA's represented in FIFA/UEFA, but Monaco does not. They are certainly rich enough; don't any of Monaco's soccer players have actual Monaco citizenship? Think of the tax dodging benefits...
As you see from the answers FIFA is very flexible on the "teams playing in leagues outside their national boundaries" issue. What is the more interesting question is whether Canada wants its own national league at some point, or not. The CFL is the only case where Canada has gone it alone, and they only have nine teams (last time I checked) which really isn't enough to sustain a national division one soccer league, IMO. The CSL was tried and unfortunately failed. Travel distances are just as much a problem in Canada as in the USA, but the population is much smaller and therefore there is less money and it would be harder to get a true national league going. Being part of MLS means that Canada is somewhat overshadowed by American teams, but on the other hand, being part of a larger North American league lends institutional and financial stability to Canadian teams that was not possible with the CSL. My hunch is that Canada will prefer to be a small fish in a big pond rather than being a small fish with no pond at all. All they need to do is get their own national cup going, and they will have their national championship. That combined with participation in MLS will hopefully give Canadian soccer the boost it sorely needs. It will be a good thing if the Canadian national team starts performing well; it will make CONCACAF World Cup qualifying more interesting. Make the USA and Mexico work a bit harder to ensure their spots in the World Cup Finals. Make the rest of CONCACAF work harder for that third spot, as well.
Great post, repped. You just about summed up the situation, which many fail to see because of blind nationalism. FIFA wants to grow the game around the world, and will bend the rules where it sees fit in order to allow growth to happen. For all the reasons you mentioned it will be difficult to get another Canadian league going so I very much believe that FIFA was in favour of this cross-border expansion as a pragmatic way of expanding the game in North America as a a whole.