Spain’s 2022 World Cup qualifier against Kosovo on Wednesday is more than a simple game of football, with the meeting in Seville also at the center of a diplomatic row. The controversy stems from what the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) described as Kosovo’s “territory” when it published Spain’s inaugural World Cup qualifying tie to the group consisting of Sweden, Greece and Georgia. The description was not appreciated in Kosovo, the former Serbian province of 1.8 million people, which declared its independence in 2008.
In response, the Football Federation of Kosovo (FFK) said in a statement that “Kosovo is an independent state” and threatened that it would not play the match if it was not allowed to use its national anthem and flag.
“We were not ready to go to Spain because of the political context of this decision,” FFK Secretary General Errol Salihu told AFP.
Kosovo was granted full membership of UEFA and FIFA in 2016 and first appeared in competitive action in qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.
‘Freedom is immutable’
Most Western powers recognize Kosovo’s kingship but Serbia and its major international partners China and Russia do not.
Nor is Spain, or Greece, one of his opponents in the campaign to qualify for the Qatar of 2022.
Spain and Greece, along with Slovakia, Romania and Cyprus, are the five EU member states urged by the European Parliament last week to recognize Kosovo.
Members of the European Parliament stated, “Kosovo’s independence is irreversible. Recognition by these remaining member states of the European Union … will be beneficial to the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia, enhancing and consolidating the stability of the region.”
Yet Madrid has already spoken of staging Wednesday’s game at the La Cartuja Stadium in Seville and would not agree to change its position.
Spanish diplomatic sources told AFP, “The staging of the match between the teams of these two federations does not change Spain’s position to accept Kosovo as a state under any circumstances.”
The Spanish government’s position is explained by the apprehension of Kostovo’s recognition of the influence that separatists may have had in Catalonia.
Historian Jose Alvarez Junko explained to the online daily El Confidient, “Spain, where it still comes to national unity, wants to avoid being threatened by the process of ‘Balkinization’.”
‘Sports stress’
Spain’s position regarding Kosovo had previously caused tension in the sports theater.
In 2019 it decided to host qualifying round matches for the European Under-17 Championship against Greece, Kosovo and Ukraine.
The games were eventually played in Nyon, Switzerland, where UEFA is headquartered.
Earlier, in November 2018, the Kosovar participants at the Karate World Championships in Madrid competed under the flag of the International Karate Federation, much to the jealousy of the International Olympic Committee.
Spain, meanwhile, have been set aside in the World Cup and European Championship qualifiers from Gibraltar, the small British territory at the southern tip of Spain which is historically claimed by Madrid.
On Wednesday, Spain “will adjust the rules imposed by FIFA and UEFA for these matches”, diplomatic sources and sources in the Spanish Federation told AFP.
“We got a guarantee from UEFA and FIFA that the protocol (covering international matches) would be respected,” Salihu said, adding that Kosovo would be able to play its anthem and fly its flag at La Cartuja.
Promoted
The game should come into its own to avoid any controversy, as Kosovo – ranked 117th in the world by FIFA – faces a major setback against the 2010 world champions.
“Spain is one of the best teams in the world but we have a young team that no one is afraid of,” said Salihu.
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