Quote:
Originally Posted by nfotiu
I think we'll have to agree to disagree. I think a born citizen of a country, born to a Canadian father who was only on a temporary work permit at the time should be fully able to represent that country if he desires to. I guess Canada is the on the short end of that stick more often than not. In the US, it seems to go both ways with the armed services people having kids growing up all over the world and playing for the US, while losing some too. It would seem pretty unfair to not allow a child born to an overseas armed service person to not play for their country because their parents were overseas working for their country.
It also seems that most of the soccer development is done by private clubs that are not really very related to their national soccer association. So I don't really see the obligation to play for the country where you developed.
|
Yes respectfully disagree and feel you are entitled to that position. I feel strongly that in order to represent a country internationally, at a minimum you should have lived there for a while and have a personal connection. Maybe it comes down to the way I self define but I don't accept that where my parents are from or what they did in their life is anything more than my heritage, it isn't and has never been my life, it is theirs. Kids of foreign service are an anomaly but it is an interesting point of debate.
My whole beef with FIFA on this is that there are two sets of rules for different types of citizens basically... You have to live in a country for 5 years to represent them if you are an immigrant even if you have citizenship. Yet if someone acquired citizenship through a parent you don't even have to set foot in that country. It is a double standard that basically relegates the first generation immigrants to second tier national status in a pretty illogical way when they might have more of a connection to that country than the descendant.
It should be citizenship
or residency full stop so it's fair and equal for everybody (and you know which one I support myself).
And to me it's not about just picking a system that will help Canada win... I think international soccer is becoming more and more of a joke in the globalization era. The north african countries that spiel referenced are a good example and some of the mideast teams like Qatar are exploiting the system even worse. Up the residency requirement to 10 years or the country you've spent the most years residing in and throw ancestry out the window and it would clean it up instantly.