International Footballer Nationality

[Khamelion]

Thought I'd ask the question as it's one thing that annoys me and that is, the countries a footballer is allowed to play for at an international level, based upon his country of birth or his parents.

Case in example, Ryan Giggs chose to play for the country of his birth but could have played for England, the other element of this is Januzaj the young Belgian player, because he hasn't committed himself to the Belgian national side, should he choose to live in England for 3yrs or more, he can then be eligible to play for England.

Personally I think this is wrong, my view is that you play your sport, whatever it is, for the country you were born in.

What are your thoughts?

Edit:
Apologies for the use of text speak in the question but I was limited to the length of question.

 

[Duckster]

Thought I'd ask the question as it's one thing that annoys me and that is, the countries a footballer is allowed to play for at an international level, based upon his country of birth or his parents.

Case in example, Ryan Giggs chose to play for the country of his birth but could have played for England, the other element of this is Januzaj the young Belgian player, because he hasn't committed himself to the Belgian national side, should he choose to live in England for 3yrs or more, he can then be eligible to play for England.

Personally I think this is wrong, my view is that you play your sport, whatever it is, for the country you were born in.

What are your thoughts?

Ryan Giggs never had the option to play for England. He played for (and captained) England schoolboys but only as his school was in England. He was born in Cardiff to Welsh parents. Januzaj, well that's a bit mental with the different countries he can play for. Almost as bad is the amount of places you can be born, yet play for France.

Personally I think you should just be able to play for the country you're born in.

 

[USER1999]

What if you are born somewhere, live there for two weeks, and then spend 18 years somewhere else?

I don't get the one grandmothers aunts neighbours cat rule though. It's either where you were born, or where you grew up to me.

 

[Stuey01]

So my mate's son, who is English, born of an English father and Mother, who's entire family line is English going back as far as is practical, should only be allowed to play for Dubai. Because his parents spent a couple of years working there in their 30s.

Do me a favour.

Some of the tenuous links are ridiculous but I don't believe it is as cut and dried as country of birth.

 

[MegaSteve]

Don't agree with 'residency of convenience' as is the case with international cricket/rugby... But other than that don't have a problem...

 

[Khamelion]

What if you are born somewhere, live there for two weeks, and then spend 18 years somewhere else?

I don't get the one grandmothers aunts neighbours cat rule though. It's either where you were born, or where you grew up to me.

You play for the country where you were born regardless of how long you lived there.

So my mate's son, who is English, born of an English father and Mother, who's entire family line is English going back as far as is practical, should only be allowed to play for Dubai. Because his parents spent a couple of years working there in their 30s.

Do me a favour.

Some of the tenuous links are ridiculous but I don't believe it is as cut and dried as country of birth.

In this instance the son you write of should only be allowed to play for England as that is where he was born, regardless of where he now resides or the nationality of his parents.

 

[Jack_bfc]

They should only be able to play for England if they were either born in England or either parent was born in England and English is there first language.. In my opinion.

And I dont really care about the criteria other countries adopt..

 

[Birchy]

You know what the rules are like now, you only need to take a dump in a country and you are eligible for the national team!

It should be where you are born or if you have been a resident of a country long enough to be granted that nationality.

Also when you have played for one country at any level that's it tough!

None of this long lost Albanian uncle eddie rollocks as well! Makes me laugh that :rofl:

 

[bladeplayer]

You play for the country where you were born regardless of how long you lived there.



In this instance the son you write of should only be allowed to play for England as that is where he was born, regardless of where he now resides or the nationality of his parents.

I think what he is getting at is the boy was born in Dubai when the parents were working there ...

IMO you should only be allowed to play for the country that YOU or YOUR PARENTS hold first passports for ... no changing nationalities .. no grandparents rule .. and yes i know this would greatly affect the RoI national team

 

[Fyldewhite]

You play for the country where you were born regardless of how long you lived there.



In this instance the son you write of should only be allowed to play for England as that is where he was born, regardless of where he now resides or the nationality of his parents.

Think you missed the point. Surely the son was born in Dubai and should only be eligible to play for them?

Can't think of a better image of the "bulldog spirt" than Terry Butcher in Sweden, blood pouring from his bandaged head.....just wouldn't have looked the same on a Singapore shirt.

 

[Khamelion]

It should be where you are born or if you have been a resident of a country long enough to be granted that nationality.

I agree to the first part of the sentence but definitely disagree with the second.

You play for the country you were born in, doesn't matter you may have only lived there a few weeks before moving somewhere else and making that new place you home.

 

[Khamelion]

I think what he is getting at is the boy was born in Dubai when the parents were working there ...

IMO you should only be allowed to play for the country that YOU or YOUR PARENTS hold first passports for ... no changing nationalities .. no grandparents rule .. and yes i know this would greatly affect the RoI national team

Think you missed the point. Surely the son was born in Dubai and should only be eligible to play for them?

Yeah I misread that, but yes regardless that his parents are both English, he was born in Dubai, so that is the country he plays for.

 

[rosecott]

Following the line suggested by others, what would you do in the situation where a british serviceman's wife gives birth in, say, Hong Kong (before China took over) and returns to UK a week later?

I think some forummers need to think things through before giving an opinion.

 

[Papas1982]

For me, the criteria I'd use would be:

place of birth,
parentage,
residency, if there from school starting age, for example anybody that has parents granted asylum. If you're brought up by a country then I have no problem with it.

Nationality of convenience, so commonly used in cricket is ridiculous!

 

[cookelad]

Yeah I misread that, but yes regardless that his parents are both English, he was born in Dubai, so that is the country he plays for.

Having also been born in The UAE (the country in which Dubai is the second city) I'll disagree, I was born there to two British parents I was there for a grand total of 6 weeks and have spent the following 31 years here with a British passport, had I been good enough I would without question have represented England/GBR!

 

[Imurg]

Following the line suggested by others, what would you do in the situation where a british serviceman's wife gives birth in, say, Hong Kong (before China took over) and returns to UK a week later?

I think some forummers need to think things through before giving an opinion.

Both Fragger and Me popped out in Hong Kong to English parents....
In my view, if I'd have been good enough, I should have had a choice of either HK or England. Simple as that. The Country of your birth or that of your parents - so if my Old Man was Scottish I would have had a choice of the 3..

 

[Khamelion]

Following the line suggested by others, what would you do in the situation where a british serviceman's wife gives birth in, say, Hong Kong (before China took over) and returns to UK a week later?

I think some forummers need to think things through before giving an opinion.

Then that person would play for Hong Kong. Hong Kong have their own national football team, who played as Hong Kong while it was a British Colony and still do now it's been handed back to the Chinese.

 

[Imurg]

Then that person would play for Hong Kong. Hong Kong have their own national football team, who played as Hong Kong while it was a British Colony and still do now it's been handed back to the Chinese.

Cheers - would never have won nowt....

 

[matt611]

As shown already by this thread I think the issue is a little more complex than a simple yes or no answer

 

[Khamelion]

As shown already by this thread I think the issue is a little more complex than a simple yes or no answer

It's pretty much black or white to me, you play for the country at a national level that you were born in.

Doesn't matter if your parents are a different nationality, doesn't matter that you only lived in the country of your birth for a few weeks, doesn't matter that since you were 2 weeks old you have now lived in a different country for the subsequent part of your life.

You play at a national level for the country you were born in.