What you need to know:
UEFA and FIFA take into account political situations before drawing draws for their tournaments
Football has several surprising stories that have united nations and has been shown to have the power to stop wars and there are several cases, such as that of Pelé, who intervened to start a war in Nigeria. Hugo Sánchez helped two Mexican journalists be freed in the Balkan war, however The ball can’t do everything.
We are in an era in which football cannot afford to leave everything to chance in a draw and risk placing in the same competition group to teams like Russia and Ukrainewhich have been at war since 2022, but we cannot forget the allied countries either.
Parties banned due to political conflicts
That is why UEFA imposes rules before starting a draw to avoid scenarios that not only put the integrity of the players and coaching staff at risk, but also of the fans, which is why here we tell you some of the matches that cannot be held for avoid scenarios that inflame these conflicts in an unnecessary way.
Spain vs Gibraltar
The duel on the field between Spain and Gibraltar is complex due to political conflicts that date back to the 18th century, when the Treaty of Utrecht was signed, which establishes that the territory of Gibraltar belonged to the United Kingdom, but if it were vacated, Spain would have the option of recovering it as a colony.
Gibraltar is currently considered a disputed territory, but is part of the United Kingdom and recognizes King Charles, successor to Queen Elizabeth.
Kosovo vs Bosnia and Serbia
For a long time, Kosovo was part of the territory of Serbia and tried to become independent from it since 1991. During the Yugoslav wars, Kosovo entered into direct war with Serbia between 1998 and 1999. He had previously fought with Bosnia, Slovenia and Croatia.
In February 2008 it was declared an independent country, although to date its independence is not recognized by some countries such as Slovakia, Romania, Spain, Greece and Cyprus, as well as Serbia and Bosnia, allies during the Kosovo war.
Kosovo is considered a fundamental part of the origins of the Serbian people, which is why in September 2023 Romanian fans shouted “Kosovo is Serbia” during a qualifying match for the Euro Cup. The Kosovo players were forced to leave the game due to these types of demonstrations.
Russia vs Ukraine
The conflict exploded in 2022 with Russia’s invasion of Ukrainian territory, which is why Russia was expelled from official UEFA competitions as a measure to try to stop the Russian invasion and attacks. Other federations of other sports also opted for similar measures and only “adopted” Russian athletes on the condition of not competing under the Russian flag.
With this expulsion the risk of a confrontation with Russia is avoided, but at the same time, UEFA prohibits Ukraine can play against Russian allies, such as Belarus.
Armenia vs Azerbaijan
The two countries were part of the Soviet Union and hTo date, territories are fought over, especially Nagorno-Karabakh., which is recognized as part of Azerbaijan. However, since 1988, Armenians who populated that region demanded the transfer to Armenia, which is why a war broke out between both countries.
Two wars have broken out between these two countries and since September In 2023, a ceasefire was agreed upon after the Russian occupation.
What about Israel vs Palestine?
Both countries have had constant conflicts for several decades. Israel belongs to UEFA and while Palestine competes in Asia, Therefore, they can only play among themselves in FIFA competitions, such as World Cups.where they would play in neutral territory, that is, the headquarters of the World Cup, which is why a confrontation between both teams looks complicated.
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