The spokespersons for Junts, ERC and PNV yesterday in the Senate urged the president of the Higher Sports Council (CSD), José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, to comply with the international recognition of the regional teams contemplated – although with many nuances – by the Sports Law .
During the groups’ turn to speak, the ERC senator for Tarragona Jordi Gaseni said that “It is a very important issue and governments depend on it today,” to at the same time he recalled “the investiture agreement between ERC and PSC includes the commitment to work for the international recognition of the Catalan teams.” “There are two possible scenarios: that they comply with the agreement and if not that they lose the support of ERC,” he said after regretting that only some Catalan federations organize some friendlies or matches at Christmas “as if it were a handout.”
“Try to imagine that someone would not allow the Spanish team to compete internationally, It would surely be a drama. Until this situation is normalized, the hopes of hundreds of thousands of people have been kidnapped by the Catalan sports teams, of fans who until now have not been able to experience what a sensation it is when your sports idol achieves individual and collective success in representation of what you feel,” he said.
Independence flag
And it is that some teams outside of Spain that can compete at an international level It has always been one of the flags of the independence movement and that is why Pedro Sánchez did not hesitate to put it on the negotiating table with Junts to achieve their support for the investiture.
The President of the Government was willing to give up the international recognition of the Catalan teams in different sports disciplines, in exchange for the support of Junts and ERC for his investiture. It was one of the offers that the PSOE put on the table to help the separatists present to their electorate achievements in terms of self-government within the constitutional framework. A trick that is not new and that he had already used in 2019 with the PNV, accepting an amendment from the empty nationalists to the Sports Law that was approved in December 2022.
Specifically, the Basque nationalists managed to introduce a new point two in article 44: “However, regional sports federations may participate directly at the international level.if the corresponding international federation contemplates its participation, in the case of sports modalities or specialties with historical and social roots in their respective autonomous community, or in the event that the autonomous federation had been part of an international federation before the constitution of the corresponding Spanish federation. In such cases, the participation of the regional sports federation in official international competitions will occur after agreement with the Higher Sports Council. “Such an agreement will entail joint support for the integration of the regional federation into the international federation.”
Andoni Ortuzar congratulated himself on the transfer of the Government and assured that, with this step, at the moment there are “two federations that see the path to officialdom completely clear”, but The reality is very different and it was just a toast to the sun with no validity outside our borders. A deception to obtain parliamentary support.
Junts-PNV War
In fact, this amendment agreed with the PNV caused a war with the Catalan nationalists who accused the Basques of “vetoing the dream of Catalan independence” to compete at an international level.
The law only allows disciplines with historical and social roots in the autonomous communities to participate internationally, with the prior endorsement of the Higher Sports Council (CSD). Also to the regional federations that have registered in an international federation before the Spanish federation. In the practical case of the Basque Country, This includes the Basque pelota team, they argue from Junts; to rugby, hockey, darts or bowling in the case of the Catalans. And, as has happened to date, this will not affect the football teams, something that greatly angers Puigdemont’s team. If they could achieve it with Rugby, since the Catalan federation is older than the Spanish one. Something that already happens with Surfing in the Basque Country.
In a statement, Junts even argued that football, in Catalonia, “It has more roots than in Madrid.” “Barça, Espanyol and Palamós are older than Real Madrid. And if we talk about social roots, Barça has 44,000 more members than Real Madrid. On the other hand, this does not help to have the Catalan soccer team.”
Once again Sánchez pulled out of his hat a promise that was difficult to fulfill and that the independentists are now demanding.
The resounding “no” from FIFA and UEFA
Both FIFA and UEFA have repeatedly opposed recognizing the Basque and Catalan teams.Both entities recognize Catalonia and the Basque Country as autonomous communities within the Kingdom of Spain. It is not an independent state recognized by the international community “so the nationalists’ request has no viability.”
And in this sense Uribes has made it very clear: “We have to be aware that there are international rules, that international committees, that recognize the idea of a federation per State and are realities that we should not ignore.”