ThehatchetMan
New member
- Joined
- 24 Aug 2020
- Messages
- 10
I think the FIFA rules were made in good faith. The problem is looking at this as poaching from a "a smaller country".
I imaging the rules were so that if a player was representing a "larger nation" at youth level, they wouldn't be excluded from representing someone else. Did anyone complain when Victor Moses or Shola Ameobi represented England up to U-21s but decided to represent Nigeria?
Moses and Ameobi have connections to Nigeria through their families.
Mark Sykes is born in Northern Ireland to Northern Irish parents.
For arguments sake Robbie Keane wouldn't have the possibility to join NI even if he wanted to as he has no connection to the country. Why does the same rule not apply for players in NI? The rule is clearly bias and benefits one nation much more than the other. The ROI literally can pick from the whole country of Ireland and were restricted to just 5 counties.
Could you imagine if there was a rule where France can pick any English born player to play for them but England aren't allowed to pick the French born players.