What do you make of players changing international teams?
The rules state it is now possible for a player to change national team even if they have played competitively at senior level, provided:
- the player held the nationality of their new association at the time of their first official appearance for their first national team.
- the player played in no more than three competitive senior games before the age of 21.
- the player has not played in the final stage of an official tournament such as the World Cup, European Championship, Copa America etc.
- at least three years have passed since the player’s last senior appearance for their previous national team.
Do you think this is right that a player can play for more than one national team or does it devalue the national jersey? Recent players that come to mind are the likes of Declan Rice (potentially the most controversial), Wilfred Zaha and Franco Vázquez among others.
It’s good. If players have multiple nationalities why shouldn’t they be able to represent them? Especially good in cases where they play for one but then fall out of favour and look unlikely to play for that country again. Surely better for them to play for their other country if they’re good enough rather than have international football miss out on a good player, no?
It’s all fun and games until Saudi finds a way to buy all the good players and make a decent “national” squad.
It depends on the circumstances but most the time it isn’t good. Generally most people know what their nationality is and what country they identify with. Playing for a different country whose language you don’t even speak because one of your grandparents was from there isn’t right and is depriving someone who is really from that country their spot in the squad. Eg: Matty Cash. Players like Musiala are different though because he has very strong ties to both England and Germany having lived in both for years whilst growing up and being fluent in both Languages so it makes sense that he can pick either England or Germany.
Grealish and Rice are scumbags
Don’t think Grealish did anything wrong, he turned down the call up to the Irish senior squad
Two blokes born and raised in England are scumbags for playing for England
I’m okay with this as I’m from a small nation who has benefitted from this kind of thing. It has allowed our level of international football to become better as a result of having higher quality players from which our more local players can learn from and train with
To me it shouldn’t be possible. Representing your nation doesn’t mean ANYTHING anymore. Nationa football is just another club football now.
People can feel one nationality just as much as they feel another nationality.
The average tribalistic mononational football fan often can’t comprehend that.
What bugs me the most is the case of a country that declares independence and players from there can’t play. I think that happened to the Swiss-Kosovar players?
U should play for whatever county u think ur from
I think its a shame for the most part. Obviously we can go case by case but a perfect example of the downsides is the USMNT. Landon Donovan, quite insightfully, respected Jurgens decision to not take him because ultimately he was trying to pick the most in form players at the time. (2014 WC cycle) Donovan replied with something to the effect of, “youre taking guys who will never play for the U.S again or care about U.S soccer as a growing sport”. He was of course talking about the dual nationals who merely choose the U.S because they couldnt hack it in a top European national team but wanted to play at a World Cup. Meanwhile guys like him who have suffered through thick and thin playing soccer in this country, get the short end. I think FIFA needs to review the rules better. This isnt a club where its a job at the end of the day, you are representing an entire nation. That means something much more deeper than playing for a club.
I think it’s a win/win situation for are parties involved. Brahim Diaz is recent example. He was very hyped as a youngster, but now he is 24 and I doubt he’s ever becoming a Spanish NT regular. Switching to Morocco will allow him to play in the NT and also strengthen Morocco’s team.
Other examples are Gouiri and Aouar. These players aren’t good enough to get called up between France’s superstars, but they’ll be very useful for Algeria. I think many other French players with dual nationality will follow soon.
Declan Rice played 3 senior games for Ireland, then declared for England. A rat.
Declan Rice is a rat.