Controlled by Britain but attached geographically to Spain, Gibraltar are determined to stand on their own two feet as a football nation when they make their historic debut as European football's newest member in a friendly against Slovakia on Tuesday. Smaller than San Marino, with a pool of only 600 players from which to choose, and a "home" ground 150 miles away, that will be easier said than done. Nevertheless, Gibraltar are unperturbed. Read more after the cut.
"One of the conditions I set when I took this job was that we prepared immediately for competing in Europe and not wait until we were accepted in Uefa - so that we would be ready," manager Allen Bula told BBC Sport.
"Now we are Uefa members, we are in qualifying for Euro 2016 and that is the aim.
"People might say it is not realistic and it's crazy but I want Gibraltar to be respected. Liechtenstein are minnows and they are respected. That is my target."
For many, two things come to mind when they think of Gibraltar - the Rock that dominates the skyline, and the 200 or so macaque monkeys that inhabit it. Soon, though, the hope is that football can be added to that list. It has been a long and difficult path to becoming the 54th - and smallest - member of Uefa. They first sought membership back in 1997 but that was rejected in 2002, with European football's governing body saying membership would be granted only to applicants recognised as sovereign states by the United Nations.
Gibraltar took their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which determined that because Uefa's "non-sovereign" rule was not in place at the time of Gibraltar's original submission for membership, Uefa was obliged to accept the request for membership. Years of hard work finally paid dividends in May this year when Gibraltar were accepted.
Spain have long claimed sovereignty over the territory, despite it having been ceded to Britain in perpetuity back in 1713, and the two countries recently became involved in a dispute when Spain increased border checks that resulted in long delays heading in and out of Gibraltar.
Bula is aware of this first hand. He lives on the Spain side of the border and even though he lives barely a couple of miles from Gibraltar's training pitches, it can take him up to three hours to cross the border. That also poses potential problems for supporters wishing to attend Gibraltar's "home" games in Portugal. The GFA has already advised those travelling through Spain to keep flags and banners to a minimum.
"The reality is that it is there. It has not been easy for us to get into Uefa, there have been obstacles," explained Bula.
"There are no obstacles with the Spanish Federation, we get on very well with them, but politically it is always going to be there.
"Does it intimidate us? I'd say no, it makes us even stronger."
Everyone loves an underdog story, and so it would seem in Gibraltar's case.
Daniel Guerrero, the GFA's communications manager, says media attention ahead of Tuesday's game against Slovakia has been huge, with requests coming "from Denmark to China".
Much of that global curiosity will be focused on just what style of football can be expected from Gibraltar, especially with tiki-taka on their doorstep but a population who are fervent followers of the Premier League.
"We Gibraltarians love our Sunday roasts, but we also like a bit of paella. I think that blend is reflected in our style of football too," said Reoch.
Given the distance from Gibraltar to Portugal, it is unclear just how many fans will make the journey to witness their country's historic moment. With the connection Gibraltar shares with Britain, Bula is hoping there will be strong support for their adventure coming from across the Channel.
"One day, maybe at Euro 2016, I'd love to have England in the same group as us, but I'd also settle for a friendly against them," he added.
"To walk out at Wembley for me, the players and Gibraltar - that is the dream."
No comments:
Post a Comment