The Official Soccer/Football/Futbol/Calcio thread

TheRiddick · 05-10-2009, 11:15 PM

Messi, and many others playing in EU, use their ancestry BS to claim whatever place they feel like as their own. Hargreaves, for example, claims English citizenship, for example, since his grandparents (or whoever) came from England who knows when. Same for Messi and a ton of other Argentine and Brazilian players who claim Italian or Portuguese roots for one reason or another.

I am all for the 6/5 rule, but unless FIFA/UEFA change this STUPIDITY with fake naturalization claims, they should not in any way insist on the rule. Clean up your own house first. I know same rule is used in Olympics and that's why half of what used to be USSR sportsmen are now playing all over the world. Poland has a Brazilian born player on its national team, another Brazilian got Russian citizenship in recent years to do the same. Its stupid and sports committees really need to clean up the rules first.

If this rule passes, I am taking ALL bets that all the nations will then quickly issue citizenship to whoever needs one to ply their trade there. It is done now anyway, on a small scale, but if FIFA/UEFA want to expedite matters, then they will only open a Pandorra's Box and make the situation even worse.
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On a more serious and important note, Iniesta seems to be done for the season, Henry may not play in Rome as well. Add another suspended player and an injured one, and all of a sudden Barcelona may have to play the likes of Hleb in Rome. Doesn't look good, not that Hleb is not a good player but he is not Iniesta, and if United beat Barca, as they should even with Barca at full strength, we won't hear the end of excuses for the next 10 years.

05-10-2009, 11:15 PM	#11
TheRiddick Non-believer Join Date: Jan 2009 First Name: Greg Location: Las Vegas Posts: 943 Trading: (7)	Re: The Official Soccer/Football/Futbol/Calcio thr Messi, and many others playing in EU, use their ancestry BS to claim whatever place they feel like as their own. Hargreaves, for example, claims English citizenship, for example, since his grandparents (or whoever) came from England who knows when. Same for Messi and a ton of other Argentine and Brazilian players who claim Italian or Portuguese roots for one reason or another. I am all for the 6/5 rule, but unless FIFA/UEFA change this STUPIDITY with fake naturalization claims, they should not in any way insist on the rule. Clean up your own house first. I know same rule is used in Olympics and that's why half of what used to be USSR sportsmen are now playing all over the world. Poland has a Brazilian born player on its national team, another Brazilian got Russian citizenship in recent years to do the same. Its stupid and sports committees really need to clean up the rules first. If this rule passes, I am taking ALL bets that all the nations will then quickly issue citizenship to whoever needs one to ply their trade there. It is done now anyway, on a small scale, but if FIFA/UEFA want to expedite matters, then they will only open a Pandorra's Box and make the situation even worse. . . . . On a more serious and important note, Iniesta seems to be done for the season, Henry may not play in Rome as well. Add another suspended player and an injured one, and all of a sudden Barcelona may have to play the likes of Hleb in Rome. Doesn't look good, not that Hleb is not a good player but he is not Iniesta, and if United beat Barca, as they should even with Barca at full strength, we won't hear the end of excuses for the next 10 years.