By Andrew Warshaw
September 29 – FIFA’s decision to reject Gibraltar’s application for membership has thrown the British overseas territory’s international status into confusion given that it has just started playing official games as the 54th member of UEFA.
Just as they did when UEFA initially applied the same ban, the Gibraltar Football Association will now appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against FIFA’s stance that the application contravenes statutes regarding independent territories.
Despite concerns that its application would act as a precedent regarding other similar territorities, Gibraltar was reluctantly accepted into UEFA in 2013 after a 14-year fight for recognition during which it faced fierce opposition from neighbours Spain.
A Gibraltar FA spokesman said: “We expected this decision by FIFA based on their statutes which, in their view, states Gibraltar is not an independent territory so we have initiated our appeal to CAS. That’s our next step.
“We are an independent UEFA member nation now and we will take it to the next stage – if you look at the history of our UEFA membership that’s the way it went as well.”
Gibraltar were beaten 7-0 by Poland in their first European qualifier earlier this month. Their clubs were also admitted to UEFA competition.
Speaking to reporters after last week’s executive committee meeting, FIFA president Sepp Blatter explained why Gibraltar had been rejected.
“The football association of Gibraltar cannot be accepted as a member of FIFA, according to article 10 of the FIFA statutes,” he said. “The applicant must organise and supervise football in one country, being an independent state, according to the FIFA statutes,” he added.
The FIFA Statutes, August 2014 edition, define a country as “an independent state recognised by the international community.”
That means Gibraltar, regardless of its UEFA position, will not be able to take part in the World Cup qualifiers which start in 2016.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734840447labto1734840447ofdlr1734840447owedi1734840447sni@w1734840447ahsra1734840447w.wer1734840447dna1734840447