Football in Kosovo: What Does Independence Bring?
It might not be Kosovo’s first priority as an independent nation — greater political recognition is probably higher on the agenda — but football’s never far below the surface in the Balkans, and it’s worth asking what the future holds for them in international football.
Kosovo do not yet have national colours, but they’ve long been hoping to join the international football community, an important symbol of independence. And they might actually be pretty good on the field.
Kosovo already has a team unrecognised by FIFA who have been playing friendlies since 1993, following the break-up of Yugoslavia. Perhaps not surprisingly given Kosovo’s predominant ethnic Albanian population, their first game was against Albania, a 3-1 defeat in Tirana. They would wait nine years — following the war — before playing another game, once more against Albania, this time a 1-0 defeat.
The past three years has seen Kosovo gain considerable momentum on the football field, recording its first win against Monaco, 7-1, and in a considerable breakthrough, beating Saudi Arabia 1-0 last June. Kristian Nushi scored the surprising winner in the 84th minute from the penalty spot.
Their coach Edmond Rugova, who once played for the New York Cosmos in the NASL and had starred for KF Prishtina in the 1980s, had expected his team to be “whacked” by the Saudis.
A number of high-quality players could be available to the team, including Lorik Cana of Marseille (a current Albanian international), who Rugova thinks “will be captain of Kosovo”. There’s also Lazio’s Valon Behrami who represents Switzerland and Fulham’s Finnish striker Shefki Kuqi and his brother Njazi Kuqi, once of Birmingham, all of Kosovan origin. It’s unclear to me whether given the exceptional state of Kosovan football’s emergence players who have represented other countries in FIFA competition would be able to turn out for Kosovo or not: it’s more likely the Albanians would than anyone else.
They would be able to play for Kosovo in the kind of non-FIFA sanctioned matches the country is currently restricted to anyway.
The bigger question is whether Kosovo will be able to play in FIFA competition at all anytime soon. There was an approach by the Kosovan football association to FIFA in 2006 exploring membership that went nowhere. Now the country is independent, there is more chance of that happening of course, but as Gramsci’s Kingdom explains in a superb post on small countries and FIFA membership, it might not be straightforward at all.
Kosovo would, presumably, first seek membership of UEFA. But he notes that UEFA’s membership rules require a nation to be recognised as such by the United Nations — not really likely given Russia’s veto on the Security Council.
He speculates that Kosovo could still gain membership of FIFA, which does not have such a stringent article on recognition by the UN itself, by joining another confederation instead of UEFA, which would be geographically awkward but technically possible.
It might be a while before we see Kosovo in the World Cup.
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Tom Dunmore is the founder and editor of Pitch Invasion. Follow him @pitchinvasion on Twitter.
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Interesting article. I would think it will take them a while to establish themselves and have any sort of success on the pitch following their declaration of independence but it’s obvious they have the potential players to have an impact down the line. You only need to look at the likes of Slovakia, Macedonia, Georgia etc as good examples of so called ‘new countries’ who have managed to make an impact on the football world in a relatively short timeframe following independence. I suspect Kosovo will follow suit in a few years.
I’ve mentioned this elsewhere but I think FIFA and UEFA’s reaction to Kosovo’s declaration, in light of both Blatter’s and Platini’s new-found anti-globalist streak re: Scudamore and the EPL 39th game, will be interesting. If FIFA’s all about protecting smaller associations from rampant foreign league expansion, are they also willing to make a bold step and lend credibility to Kosovo’s cause by granting them entry? I would guess not.
Kosovo recognition with football bodies will not be easy. They maybe have slight chance with FIFA, but I doubt that they will have success with UEFA in the next few years at least. To remind you Platini won the race for UEFA mostly with votes from ex-Soviet and ex-Yu countries and Terzic (Serbian FA President) was one of the key lobiest for those votes. Therefore, Serbian FA have pretty big influence in UEFA at the moment and they will certainly fight against recognition. Also, I doubt that Kosovo will be able to enter Asian or African bodies as it would be really stupid since situation for them is nowhere close to Israeli one.
On the long run, they will certainly get their chance. So, my opinion is that they will have to wait for UN recognition and then they will get UEFA recognition.
Gentlemen, you need to read the Gramsci post above. The ability of FIFA and UEFA to recognise Kosovo on their own is severely restricted by the current set of rules, which effectively require UN recognition as a pre-requisite. Given the fact that Russia and China are permanent members of the Security Council and given that they are both strongly opposed to recognition; it is going to be a while before the question can even be put before the football authorities (at which point all of the obstacles that Free Betting correctly raises will come into play).
Tom, is there some sort of strange coding in the comments box? I cannot get an apostrophe to appear because it opens the QucikFind box in Firefox (2.0.0.12). I do not remember ever having had this problem before and wonder if it is a site issue or a Firefox one.
regardin the article based some information are correst but there is some more info to add as well as Kosovo fotball obstacles having form EU, & ICO are all politized in regards to FIFA and UEFA, i think sport has to be only sport and therefore have right to be member any country whether is new or poor in disregard to political institution. Well Russia and Serbia interest can’t let Kosovo to join the sports tournment as interest are higher than expectation as u can see here how conflicts in balkan are so Nacionalism, We know according to statistics that Prishtina in Yugoslavian League was 2nd on top othe table they were the best team in ex Yug….. of course not to mention Discrimination which they did at all times in every institution, sport school, university, at work in ur own country i wouldn’t imagine that as Kosovo is in Europe not in middle east nor Afrika. moreover kosovo need to establish some infrustructure. economy as well as diplomacy and Fifa should give em a chance to become member of football assosiation to compet other country in any type of sport, and should not be discriminated 1st by EU country’s 2nd by Slavian country as Russia and Serbia that kosovo albanians are Domestic and will be there inown country which has right to fullifill all norms of stepping forward as one of NEW Born Country in EU….with Equal rights as europian people.
i would Consider Kosovo same as Barcelona ( katalan) which they are not spanish but they have to respect spanish umbrella as country interest same as France ( Baske population) i think in this world is not about sport Equalitis but politics and crime in favour of one’s contry interest and state power,,,, i strongly think that this is a /Game between poorer and richer Country playing ups and downs just not to conflict others country power such as Russia, in recent example Ga supplier,,,, bulling about Ukraine which the vision of politics is that Russua want EU Compromise thay can’t compet with super power state such as USA.
So having thought about KosovA case we need to go back read more about they origin and Tribes ( ILIRIAN and PELLAZG )older population in Europe and you’ll come an reasonable conclusion knowing kosovars ART and Heritage that were taken by SLLAV people since 1800 and onwards and you’ll see Albanian Religion were not muslim but Katholics and not Ortodoks which one thing you can identify SLLAVIAN people as religion as ORTODOKS and they Race,,,, would appreciate if you guys read Ilirian History,,, as we know about world History since stone age and now,,,,,
P.S might be my language isn’t great but i think a made a point to understand the situation of this Article
Many thanks
Anotheer point is to clearify is that all Kosovar Albanians play for another country represenatative in international footballer such as Valon Behrami is Kosovar plays for Swiss, Lorik Cana for Albanian international, and many many more you tell me is this right or wrong how about this an e. g would any of the English player would play for Scotland international or Ireland or France maybe, of course not i know English mentality as well as you do or maybe more, so how sin is this for Kosovar people which they don’t allow them to show they own IDentity by bllody being a member to FIFA and UEFA PLS this is a so called Politics that in Sport are implemented in deep down ,,,,,
ok enough of me but in the end Result will tell the truth of my talking
Are Russia and China still both strongly opposed to recognition? If so, then this is all still goinf to be a stumbling block.
DEAR SIR,
I’M A 45 YEARS OLD NIGERIAN SOCCER ACADEMY COACH,SEEKING AREAS OF PARTNERSHIP WITH ANY FOOTBALL COACH IN KOSOVO,FOR PRESENTATION OF YOUNG NIGERIAN FOOTBALL PROTEGES,TO BUILD UP FOOTBALL STANDARD IN YOUR COUNTRY,IF YOUR PEOPLE WOULD TAKE ON AFRICANS,AS NIGERIAS HAVE EXCELLED ALL OVER THE WORLD IN FOOTBALL.
I’LL BE GLAD TO RECIEVE A FAVOURABLE RESPONCE FROM YOUR GOOD OFFICE.
BEST REGARDS
AGBI YAHYA.