El Mundial

A national team would add to the social cohesion of our nation

When a new state comes into being one of its first manifestations is that its national team is represented at FIFA. It is as if FIFA membership is as necessary as membership of the UN and that a State is composed of its territory, population and government in addition to a national football team.

When new states emerge, national feelings can often be fragile or threatened. The strengthening of these feelings can often be helped by soccer. A national team is not the result of the creation of a State, but helps to build a feeling of nationhood.

The omnipresent ‘propaganda’ surrounding the Spanish and French national teams, helps to contribute to a strong identification among the people with the state. It is a wonderful formula for the promotion of Spanish and French national identity. Sport serves the nationalist political ideologies of the Spanish and French states. We are fully aware of the implications of having a national team and consider it necessary that we have our own, because Euskal Herria also needs to defend its identity.