UEFA was yesterday to decide whether to admit Kosovo as a full member, while French and Norwegian candidates were in contention to become the first woman voted onto the governing body’s executive committee.
Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008, is allowed by world soccer’s governing body FIFA to only play friendly internationals.
If granted membership by the UEFA annual congress in Budapest, FIFA would vote on Kosovo’s membership at its congress on May 13.
Kosovo hopes FIFA approval would allow it to get a late place in European qualifying groups for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Kosovo would become the 55th member of the European body and with further approval from UEFA’s executive, could take part in the UEFA Champions League and qualifying for the 2020 European Championship finals.
Kosovo was the center of a bitter war between ethnic-Albanian and Serbian forces in 1998-1999.
Serbia has sought to prevent Kosovo gaining international recognition, but in sport, it has secured membership of a host of world bodies, including athletics and gymnastics.
That campaign for recognition built a groundswell of support, so it is to make its Olympic debut at the Rio de Janeiro Games in August.
Karen Espelund, a former Norway international, who is already a co-opted member of the UEFA executive, is up against French Football Federation general director Florence Hardouin in the landmark vote for a woman’s place on the executive committee.
Both say the vote would be a key step in changing soccer’s administration in its most powerful regional confederation. Disgraced UEFA president Michel Platini cannot attend the congress because of a six-year ban imposed by FIFA over a suspect US$2 million payment authorized by banned FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
Platini has made a final appeal against the ban to the Court of Arbitration, but no decision is expected before May 9.
The ban means the Frenchman cannot attend the European Championship finals in his homeland in June and July.
If his appeal is turned down, UEFA could organize an emergency congress to elect a new president before Euro 2016 starts on June 10.
The UEFA executive committee met on Monday and “received a positive update on the successful preparations for UEFA EURO 2016,” said a statement released after the meeting.
The committee “expressed its confidence in the measures put in place to stage a safe and festive tournament for all involved,” the statement added.
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