The war in the Middle East continues and, as with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, this could soon have consequences for the world of football.
FIFA has responded to the Palestinian Football Association’s call to ban the Israeli national team and clubs from all international competitions, as it did with the Russian national team and national teams following the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine.
World football’s governing body has already announced that it will make a decision on the matter on October 3. A decision that also concerns Italy, given that Luciano Spalletti’s “squadra azzura” are in the same group as Israel in the Nations League.
The two representative groups faced each other again in September, with the “Azzuri” emerging victorious 2-1.
The Palestinian Football Federation confirmed the developments with an official statement:
“The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) confirms that it has received the independent legal assessment regarding its proposal to sanction the Israel Football Association for violations of the FIFA statutes and international law.
We appreciate the professionalism and impartiality demonstrated by FIFA in handling this matter, in particular by referring the matter to legal experts for a thorough assessment. The PFA remains confident in the fairness of the ongoing process.
As the sole recognised football authority in the Palestinian territory, we assert our right, enshrined in the FIFA statutes and laws, to develop and promote football in all areas recognised by international law.
This includes the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, as reiterated by the recent ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and reinforced by numerous international legitimacy resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council.
The PFA remains steadfast in its role of governing and supporting the development of football in Palestine, in accordance with this legal framework and the FIFA Statutes and the Olympic Charter.
We patiently await the final decision, which is expected to be reviewed by the FIFA Council on 3 October, confident that this process will ultimately lead to justice and equality for Palestinian football and its athletes.”.
naftemporiki.gr