Euro 2008 and straw-grasping


If Spain’s government ignore warnings from UEFA and persist in interfering with elections within the Spanish FA, there is a possibility Northern Ireland could be called upon to replace Spain should they be thrown out of Euro 2008. Given that this is a preliminary shot across the bows and that Spain are one of the biggest television draws in the competition I won’t be booking any flights just yet. The precedent being cited is Denmark’s replacement of Yugoslavia in 1992. Denmark of course went on to win the competition, which is an auspicious sign for Northern Ireland. Less auspicious is that in the world of legal precedent, there might be an argument for distinguishing between a country in the midst of a series of wars which bring its existence into doubt and one in which there have been some allegations of government interference in an FA election.

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