FIFA, UEFA threaten to suspend Albania due to government interference

TIRANA, Jan. 22 – FIFA and UEFA accused Albanian authorities of harassing local soccer officials and threatened to suspend Albania from international matches unless the government stops interfering in the independence of the country’s national federation.
The world and European soccer governing bodies sent a letter January 21 asking for a written confirmation from the Albanian government authorities in a month time and to cancel their audit of the Albanian Football Association (AFA) funds complaining of the “permanent harassment.”
That is the second time in two years that FSHF has been in a spat with the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sport over a government audit of public funding and advertising revenues, and also after a court decided that the federation’s statute amendments were not legal, including the election.
The letter, made known through local media outlets, was signed by FIFA’s General Secretary, Jerome Valcke, and UEFA General Secretary David Taylor. The letter was sent to the Albanian Minister of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports Ylli Pango.
“If FIFA and UEFA do not receive the requested written confirmation within the given deadlines, … FIFA and UEFA administrations will have no other options but to forward a report for the next meetings of the FIFA and UEFA Executive Committee to take the necessary steps, which may lead to the suspension of the FSHF,” said the letter.
A similar warning was issued two years ago on the same issue.
Albanian authorities, Vice Sports Minister Ekrem Spahia said they are only to audit the FSHF’s public funding coming from the government budget and not the international funding.
The letter also asked the Sports Ministry to provide evidences on allegations against the FSH President Armand Duka on match-fixing.
In December, Pango asked to investigate alleged match-fixing in Albania’s last two Euro 2008 qualifiers against Belarus and Romania implicating top soccer official in the alleged scandal.
Soccer authorities also asked Albanian government “to withdraw any legal action hindering the registration of the FSHF statutes.”
An Albanian court has ruled that FSHF’s statute amendments were illegal, invalidating elections held in February 2007.