Basque Football Federation

Basque Football Federation
Founded 1988
President Luis Elustondo[1]
Website Basque Football Federation

The Basque Football Federation (Euskadiko Futbol Federakundea (EFF) in Basque) is the federation responsible for managing association football in the Basque Country autonomous region.

It manages several Basque leagues such as the Third Division (Group 4), the Basque Youth League and the Basque Women's Football League. It also runs the Basque regional stage of the Federation Cup and organises and selects the Basque Country national football team which draws its players not only from the Basque Country autonomous region, but also from the neighbouring Basque regions of Navarre and the French Basque Country.[2][3][4]

The Basque Football Federation is part of the Royal Spanish Football Federation.

History

In the early 20th century federations were formed for each of the regions of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, each of which is part of the Basque Country. As long ago as 1931 the idea of creating a single federation for the whole Basque Country was considered,[5] but for various reasons this was not done at that time. In 1988 the Basque Football Federacion was finally created encompassing the three original federations, each of which continues to organise football competition within their area.[6][7]

Purpose

The Basque Football Federation's purpose is to promote, organise and authorise association football competition across the Basque Country autonomous region.

In addition to this it selects and arranges fixtures for the Basque Country national football team,[8] for which it aims to gain UEFA and FIFA affiliation so that it can participate in regular international competitions.[9]

FIFA affiliation

The Basque Football Federation has as one of its aims the official participation of the Basque Country national football team in international competitions.[9]

In 1979 Pablo Porta, president of the Spanish Football Federation, stated that the Basque Country might participate in the next World Cup. He explained that in the same way that Welsh clubs participate in the English league but are also represented by the Welsh national team, so the same model could be used in Spain.[10] However this idea has not been implemented.

In 2010 the Basque Football Federation changed its statutes to make it responsible for international competitions in the Basque Country, but the Supreme Court of Spain suspended these new statutes.[11]

In 2012 it was decided by the Constitutional Court of Spain that the Basque Country could compete in international competitions so long as it did not compete against Spain.[12]

Competitions

The Basque Football Federation organises the following competitions:

Notable clubs affiliated to BFF

La liga

Segunda División

Segunda División B

Primera División (women)

Presidents

Laurentzi Gana Gorozika (1992- )

Iñaki Dobaran Garetxana (2006-2009)[9]

Santiago Arostegi Oleagordia (2009-2012)[14][15]

Luis Maria Elustondo Ciarreta (2012–present)[16]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Saluda Presidente". EFF. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
  2. ↑ "Arostegui: 'Si queremos que nos tomen en serio, debemos ser serios'". El Mundo, 27 Decamber 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  3. ↑ "Roberto Torres, convocado por la selección vasca". Noticias de Navarra, 23 December 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  4. ↑ "Un futbolista francés entra en la convocatoria de la selección vasca". Libertad digital, 22 December 2011. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  5. ↑ "Se pretende crear la Federacion Vasca". La Libertad, 18 September 1931. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
  6. ↑ "La Federación Vizcaína de Fútbol empieza a festejar su Centenario". El Mundo Deportivo, 20 September 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  7. ↑ "Aclaración de la Federación Guipuzcoana de Fútbol". Noticias de Gipuzkoa, 27 October 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  8. ↑ "La selección boliviana juega en San Sebastián.....". ABC, 20 December 1993. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 "Aspiraciones de oficialidad". El Diario Vasco, 27 September 2006. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  10. ↑ "Hacia una selección de Euskadi.". Diario de Las Palmas, 12 January 1979, page 27. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  11. ↑ "El Supremo ratifica la suspensión de la reforma de estatutos de la Vasca". El Diario Vasco, 31 March 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  12. ↑ "El Constitucional avala las selecciones vascas si no compiten contra España". El Pais, 20 April 2012. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  13. 1 2 "Copa Federación Vasca". El Diario Vasco, 5 May 2006. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  14. ↑ "Fútbol. Santiago Arostegi nuevo presidente del Federación Vasca de Fútbol.". Bizkaia net, 29 January 2009. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  15. ↑ "La Federación plantea que rote el estadio donde juega la selección vasca". El Diario Vasco, 11 December 2012. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  16. ↑ "Elustondo accede hoy al cargo de presidente en presencia de Villar". El Diario Vasco, 8 February 2013. Retrieved 16 May 2015.

External links

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