FIFA President Sepp Blatter is meeting with UEFA and Serbian football officials Thursday to explain the body’s decision to allow member nations to play international matches against teams from Kosovo.
Kosovo has been out of world football since declaring independence from Serbia in 2008, because its sovereignty has not been recognised by the United Nations.
FIFA’s executive committee approved the decision last week despite objections from UEFA President Michel Platini.
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UEFA statutes require member countries to have UN recognition, and Platini said FIFA pushed through a decision without consultation.
“We are not there to hinder to play football, we are there to open the doors to play football,” Blatter said last week in Budapest where FIFA’s 209 member nations met for their annual congress.
Blatter said the talks in Zurich would clarify whether Kosovo teams can play home matches, but “the basis of the decision is not changed.”
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Blatter backed his stance by stressing that “22 out of 27 members of the European Union have ties with Kosovo.”