Is there too much INTER MINGLING going on at the EURO ?

[Ernest]

If you're BORN where you're BORN that is who you are , so why are so many FOREIGNERS playing for different countries ? The Xhaka brothers are playing for different countries FFS, what is that all about ?

World Football will mean NOTHING soon if all this PICKING who you play for CARRIES on ? Why are they allowed to INTERMINGLE like the GERMAN playing for RUSSIA last night, he's played for Germany so that is that ?

I'm SICKENED by it.

 

[Return of the Rev]

If you're BORN where you're BORN that is who you are , so why are so many FOREIGNERS playing for different countries ? The Xhaka brothers are playing for different countries FFS, what is that all about ?

World Football will mean NOTHING soon if all this PICKING who you play for CARRIES on ? Why are they allowed to INTERMINGLE like the GERMAN playing for RUSSIA last night, he's played for Germany so that is that ?

I'm SICKENED by it.

Even got Russian Irish fans now!

 

[The Brighton Bear]

Quite right Ernest. I am English and the Krauts could try and lure me with their various sausages but I would hold true to my birthplace.

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

I agree, Republic of Ireland have never done that in the past, when Jack O'Charlton was in charge you only had to fly over Ireland and you were in with a shout of selection.

 

[Maldini]

If you're BORN where you're BORN that is who you are .

I def wouldn't go that far.Your nationality isn't just about where you were born but I agree with you there is too much inter mingling.

England don't have it so much.I support Italy and over recent years including for this tournament we've had/have players who qualify to play for us just because the've lived in Italy for 5 years.That's totally unacceptable.

 

[LamieRobertson]

I'd like more inter mingling in the English team couple of Germans..maybe five for penalties...French and so on...chuck in the odd home player for appearance sake....might win something

 

[The Birdman]

In the egg game a South African Irish player was sent of against South Africa yesterday whoops what about half the England cricket team came from South Africa.

 

[Blackadder]

If you think it's bad now, just wait until Qatar host the world cup. I wager a fair few Brazilians will suddenly find that they have roots in the middle east.

 

[Dorset Seagull]

For all the tripe that Ernest talks I actually think he has a point on this one. If you can only play for the country of your birth it would end all of these shenanigans once and for all

 

[el punal]

In the egg game a South African Irish player was sent of against South Africa yesterday whoops what about half the England cricket team came from South Africa.

In recent years, in rugby, most of the All Blacks 2nd XV played for, either England, Scotland, Ireland or Wales. The All Blacks 1st XV have come any island that you can think in the South Pacific.

Please, don't get me started on Zola Budd. No, she didn't play rugby.

 

[Hampster Gull]

If you're BORN where you're BORN that is who you are , so why are so many FOREIGNERS playing for different countries ? The Xhaka brothers are playing for different countries FFS, what is that all about ?

World Football will mean NOTHING soon if all this PICKING who you play for CARRIES on ? Why are they allowed to INTERMINGLE like the GERMAN playing for RUSSIA last night, he's played for Germany so that is that ?

I'm SICKENED by it.

Starting early on your future role as england manager?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

I def wouldn't go that far.Your nationality isn't just about where you were born but I agree with you there is too much inter mingling.

England don't have it so much.I support Italy and over recent years including for this tournament we've had/have players who qualify to play for us just because the've lived in Italy for 5 years.That's totally unacceptable.

Carlo Cudicino qualified to play in goal for England, did he not?

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Those brothers from Samoa or somewhere who play rugby for England. Absolute joke. I know no one gives a toss about rugby (and why would you?) but how can England fans take that seriously?

 

[goldstone]

For all the tripe that Ernest talks I actually think he has a point on this one. If you can only play for the country of your birth it would end all of these shenanigans once and for all

Country of your birth isn't the solution. What about if your parents were temporarily working in Dubai when you were born, would you be forced to play for the UAE national team?

 

[SeagullofMalaysia]

Country of your birth isn't the solution. What about if your parents were temporarily working in Dubai when you were born, would you be forced to play for the UAE national team?

Yep. By that logic, Terry Butcher should've played for Singapore

Sent from popcorn packets for NSC binfests

 

[hart's shirt]

What about if your parents were temporarily working in Dubai when you were born, would you be forced to play for the UAE national team?

Probably not.

That said, we need a few more decent players over here to go with the rather excellent Omar Abdulrahman - the Arabian Messi.

 

[Puppet Master]

I'd do away with the grandparents rule personally

 

[Eeyore]

Those brothers from Samoa or somewhere who play rugby for England. Absolute joke. I know no one gives a toss about rugby (and why would you?) but how can England fans take that seriously?

You're referring to the Vunipola brothers. One of which was born in New Zealand and the other Australia.

It is the Welsh who have most reason to be miffed as they were both raised there.

We live in a transient world. They both went to school and obtained scholarships across the border and went through the English system. I have no problem with that.

 

[Seaber]

If I was born in Germany, but grew up in England with a half French, half Italian dad and half Spanish, half Portuguese mum, would I be eligible to play for all six countries?

I know Januzaj was rumoured to have the option of FIVE countries to pick from, although I think some turned out to be untrue.

 

[Jolly Red Giant]

I agree, Republic of Ireland have never done that in the past, when Jack O'Charlton was in charge you only had to fly over Ireland and you were in with a shout of selection.

There is and always has been a load of ***** talked about the Irish team and qualifying to play for the international team.

Ireland has long been a country of emigration - most of it to England. There are several million people in England with Ireland ancestry.

The big nonsense started with the 1988 Euros when Ireland beat England in Stuttgart. 5 of the 11 who started for Ireland were born in England - all of them had at least one Irish parent - one of them, Kevin Sheedy never actually held British citizenship and still hasn't to this day. In fact the only player of prominence that there was ever a question mark over during the Charlton era was Tony Cascarino who should never have been allowed to play for Ireland (and was never much good anyway).

But something that English fans often forget is that two of the players in the England squad for that game didn't have any connection to England what-so-ever. John Barnes was born in Jamacia - his father was from Trinidad and his mother was Jamacian. Tony Dorigo was born in Australia - his father was Italian and his mother was Australian. Indeed Dorigo wanted to play for Australia but his manager at Aston Villa at the time he was selected by Australia refused to release him. It was only later that he was approached by the FA and agreed to play for England.

The Dutch team that won that tournament had a player Aron Winter, who was born in Suriname and had no connection with Holland and another who was born in Canada. Gullitt was born in Holland of Surinamese immigrant parents. Indeed 5 of that Dutch squad could have played for Suriname.

The notion of players representing a different country than he country of their birth is common - even widespread - and England have picked players who were not born in England.

France are notorious for it - 8 of the 11 players who played for France in the 1998 WC final weren't actually French - including one who was actually born in France but never regarded himself as French - Lizarzu who is Basque.

People can complain about this all they want - but it is common and has been for decades - not just in soccer. These days it tends to be more dictated by money. A case in point is Aston Villa's Jack Grealish - Grealish has represented Ireland since U-14 yet has declared for England, and did so because an agent told him that he would double his income (and his transfer value) by playing for England instead of Ireland. Indeed it has reached preposterous proportions in athletics where many countries in Europe are paying African athletes to take out citizenship in order to try and win Olympic medals.