"Taarabt hoping to go

Its a toughie. QPR pay his wages so they are definitely entitled to a say on the matter but i dont think you can deny a player the chance to play for, or become the hero of, their own country.

QPR pay his wages
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Does anyone know how this actually works? Whenever I read headlines reporting a club 'denying' a player the right to play for his country, the fine print always seems to refer to 'an agreement reached between the club and the national FA'. Also, this seems to occur mostly with friendlies or youth tournaments, but never with qualifiers or finals of major senior tournaments.

I'd have imagined that the right to represent his country is either stipulated in any footballer's contract or through the applicable local FA / FIFA / CAF / UEFA regulations governing these issues. Otherwise clubs would routinely turn down player's requests to represent their country and the governing bodies would be powerless.

These are issues every club is aware of when they employ a footballer, and in the case of African footballers in particular, they're fully aware that the ACON clashes with the domestic calendar, so it seems very unfair to me to then try to coerce the player into not going. It's hardly as if they can claim unforeseeable circumstances.

Also, I believe that nowadays FIFA takes an insurance to cover the wages of any player that has to miss 2/3 weeks or more of club footy because of an injury sustained when on int'l duty, which was one of the main gripes clubs used to have about releasing their players.

itsonlyagame

I think the power is actually in the national team's court. For example, if England selected Paul Scholes to play for the national team, neither Scholes or SAF could do anything about it.

If the player refuses, the national team's HQ hold the right to have the player banned from domestic matches.

Of course, it would be extremely rare that the national team would go to these lengths, but they certainly hold the power to do it.

A national team can't force a player to play for them. He can opt for international retirement and exclude himself forever.

The rules are in place to help a player represent his country not to help the country get a player. If a player does not want to play the country can do nothing about it.

Actually, I've always been a bit suspicious of the fact that no Basque or Catalan footballer I know of has publicly refused a call up to play for Spain.

comment by itsonlyagame - 4928 days and counting (U6426)

posted 5 hours, 15 minutes ago

Actually, I've always been a bit suspicious of the fact that no Basque or Catalan footballer I know of has publicly refused a call up to play for Spain.
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You mean, in order to make a stand for political reasons? Why do you think no one has done it yet?

Mojiebhoy

A national team can't force a player to play for them. He can opt for international retirement and exclude himself forever.

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That is where you are wrong. If a national team wants a player who is still playing pro-football, then they have to join up with the squad, or their playing registration can be revoked.

'Arry is out of order even asking him not to go and completely disrespectful to the nation of Algeria or whatever he must apologise this minutes

I dont think its disrespectful. Harry wants to have his game winners in the team - nothing wrong with that.

you might wanna hope he goes. He's awful.