Andorra criticise allegations
Tuesday, 27 March 2001Andorra's Football Federation has criticised what it calls the "bad spirit" behind the current allegations that they are fielding ineligible players. The allegations came to light when an anonymous fax was sent to the Football Association of Ireland claiming that two of the Andorrans had lined out for Spain at international level and that four other members of the squad were ineligible to play for the fledgling nation.
FAI chief executive Bernard O'Byrne passed along the information to FIFA and UEFA who informed him that the country had been awarded a dispensation allowing them to play several footballers who had represented other countries before Andorra entered any international tournaments. The Andorran FA have confirmed that all their players have been cleared to play in tomorrow night's World Cup qualifer against the Republic of Ireland.
"We were only formed in 1994 and we only started taking part in competitions in 1998," explained AFA spokesperson Miguel Angel Quinones to PA. "All the players who had played for Spain in youth football before 1998 have been totally cleared to play for the Andorran team," he added.
Filed by Amanda Fennelly
