Arteta for scotland

[CraigK]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...on/8934261.stm

He could play for any of the home nations, would you accept him for Scotland?

Ps. i know he's a hun bassa, etc.

[IndieHibby]

Yes. He's quality.

[HibeeSince85]

Aye, straight away.

[Horse]

Why not? He's better than any other player we have eligible to play and other countries happily exploit these rules so why shouldn't we?

[At The Edge]

may need to work on his defensive game before Potter looks at him

Saying that, i don't think he would go to any of the home nations bar England,

[HibeeSince85]

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may need to work on his defensive game before Potter looks at him

Saying that, i don't think he would go to any of the home nations bar England,

He would not even entertain Scotland.

Very good player though.

[CRAZYHIBBY]

no chance, hes not and never will be scottish

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

The way world football is being devalued we might as well. The amount of 'foreigners' that played for teams in the WC was embarassing, if the top nations do it, beggars cannae be choosers!

[AFKA5814_Hibs]

Very good player and a bit unfortunate that Spain have such a good side, but Arteta playing for a British national side is a farce.

[Hibs On Tour]

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Very good player and a bit unfortunate that Spain have such a good side, but Arteta playing for a British national side is a farce.

100% dickie. Don't agree with selling the moral soul of what international teams are about for this psuedo-political ****** that means you can 'adopt' nationality from wherever you work, live, etc. You are what you are - get on with it!

[Hibercelona]

I don't care how honking we are. Only Scots should be aloud to play for our country.

On the other hand...... if he fancies a move to Hibs....

[AFKA5814_Hibs]

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100% dickie. Don't agree with selling the moral soul of what international teams are about for this psuedo-political ****** that means you can 'adopt' nationality from wherever you work, live, etc. You are what you are - get on with it!

I'm not a fan of the 'granny rule' either D. Andy Carroll is the obviously answer. Someone who quite obviously only wants to play for England, fair enough, he's English, probably never even met his Scottish granny. It's embarrassing Scotland pursing him, desperate and pitiful.

[Hibs On Tour]

Arteta looked embarassed when he got asked about it. Usual media making stories out of nothing I reckon. Capello was at game - so what? The notion he was there to watch any English players won't sell papers or Sky subscriptions though.

It all makes Levein's shameful courting of the non-entity that is Andy Driver, while putting down and ignoring proven home-grown talent like DR all the more ridiculous.

[HIBERNIAN 1875]

Sorry if im being a spoil sport here but surely if Arteta is picked for Scotland it would defeat the purpose of not just the the Scottish national team but International Football in general.

Arteta is NOT Scottish.

End Of.

[PaulSmith]

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Sorry if im being a spoil sport here but surely if Arteta is picked for Scotland it would defeat the purpose of not just the the Scottish national team but International Football in general.

Arteta is NOT Scottish.

End Of.

I know and I agree but did you think of Podolski, Klose, Otzil and the 'Brazilian' striker for Germany being other than German in the WC?

[HIBERNIAN 1875]

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I know and I agree but did you think of Podolski, Klose, Otzil and the 'Brazilian' striker for Germany being other than German in the WC?

I see where your coming from mate, but a guy named "Mikel Arteta" lining up for Scotland....na not for me thanks.

[JE89]

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I see where your coming from mate, but a guy named "Mikel Arteta" lining up for Scotland....na not for me thanks.

Jagielka doesn't sound Engish yet he is

If the likes of Pepe, Klose, Podolski etc can all play for other nations then why not. The worst for me was the likes of Marcel Desailly claiming how great it was having the World Cup in Africa when he chose to play for France ahead of his native Ghana. It wasn't the principle pf chosing France the fact these types of players 'were honoured' to have the WC in Africa is a bit hyporcritical

[HIBERNIAN 1875]

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Jagielka doesn't sound Engish yet he is

If the likes of Pepe, Klose, Podolski etc can all play for other nations then why not. The worst for me was the likes of Marcel Desailly claiming how great it was having the World Cup in Africa when he chose to play for France ahead of his native Ghana. It wasn't the principle pf chosing France the fact these types of players 'were honoured' to have the WC in Africa is a bit hyporcritical

Like I said, everyones entitled to their opinion, I just dont agree with it in general......

[Hibs On Tour]

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I know and I agree but did you think of Podolski, Klose, Otzil and the 'Brazilian' striker for Germany being other than German in the WC?

Ermm... yes. Think its getting a little ridiculous no? Why don't we just do away with the whole notion of having separate international teams and just have 'best of league' teams - that's where all this pish is heading.

[rossi]

May as well just scrap International football if Arteta plays for a UK nation. I think there's a few people would be quite happy to see that happen.

[Lucius Apuleius]

John Barnes wasn't English. Nothing new in all this. FIFA rules are FIFA rules, only in Scotland are so insular and bawheided that we refuse to use the rules to our advantage.

[blackpoolhibs]

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John Barnes wasn't English. Nothing new in all this. FIOFA rules are FIFA rules, only in Scotland are so insular and bawheided that we refuse to use the rules to our advantage.

We are getting left behind by all these countries that are using the rules. We will lose games to teams who have used this rule to suite them, if we want to stay with them, and even catch up, we cant afford to knock back anyone who might be eligible. Saying that, i cant see Arteta wanting to play for us?

[Dashing Bob S]

We used to produce decent players. We now no longer do. Why this should be is the issue we have to address if our national game is to improve.

Whoring ourselves out to anybody who is decent but not good enough for their own country is demeaning, and ultimately self-defeating.

[Future17]

As other posters have said. Think Zidane, Giggs and, going back even further, Puskas and Di Stefano (who played for 3 different countries).

What I've always found interesting about this debate is that some people would apparently rather have someone play for Scotland who was born here, but has lived abroad all their lives, rather than someone who was born abroad, but had lived here all their lives.

I would say that living here for a number of years shows a greater affinity with the country and it's values than simply having the good fortune to have been born here. If Sauzee (had he been uncapped) or Zitelli had been picked for Scotland while playing for Hibs and talking about how much they loved living in Edinburgh, I wouldn't have had any complaints.

Arteta is an interesting one, as he spent a few years living in Scotland, although not as long as he's spent living in England. I think the decider in that sort of situation should be who the player wants to play for and, with Arteta, I can't see that being Scotland.

[Hibs On Tour]

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What I've always found interesting about this debate is that some people would apparently rather have someone play for Scotland who was born here, but has lived abroad all their lives, rather than someone who was born abroad, but had lived here all their lives.

Ermm... yes! Because Internationals are *supposed* to be about playing for the country of your birth. Not where you went to school, not where you earn your living, not where you like the climate better, not where the shopping is better, et al.

This isn't [or at least shouldn't be] about "affinity" - this is about Nationhood and the gradual watering down of anything that constitutes such.

As Bob says, the problem here is why we aren't producing good enough players of our own. Lets address that instead of wishing Sauzee et al want to play for a country not their own. Sheesh!

[500miles]

If a player considers a country his home, after a long period of settlement thier, I don't actually have an issue with it. If they feel passionate enough about that country to approach FIFA for clearance to play for them, then I would go as far to say they have every right not to be excluded in representing the country that they love. In my book, it is preferable to this rediculous system which allows players who've never set foot in a country to represent.

However, this whole Arteta thing doesn't seem to be anything more than a marriage of convenience, so for that reason, I wouldn't be able to support it.

[Phil D. Rolls]

I think we just have to accept that International football has changed and make the most of the situation. Scotland have found it hard enough to compete, but if other countries are following this new rule, then it would be suicide not to do the same.

[Lucius Apuleius]

There is also the matter of integration. How many times do we hear about immigrants coming here and not integrating with Scottish/British society? If my parents had moved to NZ many years ago as my Dad wanted, would I still have been Scottish? Course I would. However all my formative years would have been in Kiwiland therefore probably considerd my self Kiwi. Still would not have played for the internationally though coz I was sheite

[CropleyWasGod]

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Ermm... yes! Because Internationals are *supposed* to be about playing for the country of your birth. Not where you went to school, not where you earn your living, not where you like the climate better, not where the shopping is better, et al.

This isn't [or at least shouldn't be] about "affinity" - this is about Nationhood and the gradual watering down of anything that constitutes such.

!

I can't agree.

For me, one's nationality isn't about what's on one's passport, it's about how one feels. Was Joe Baker really English? Is Alex Cropley? Is Richard Gough Swedish? What nationality are the Kurds, the Catalans, the Scots? What nationality is an Indian-origin family who have been here for 3 generations?

The world is shrinking. Like it or not, national identities are not as well-defined as they once were... and, I accept, there are good and bad things about that. The population of the world is more fluid than it has ever been, and football is merely reflecting that.

[StevieC]

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Ermm... yes! Because Internationals are *supposed* to be about playing for the country of your birth. Not where you went to school, not where you earn your living, not where you like the climate better, not where the shopping is better, et al.

Elena Baltacha, Scotlands top tennis player, was born in Kiev and moved here when she was just 5 years old. Lived most of her life in Perth before turning pro. I'd like to see someone tell her that she's not Scottish.

Elena Baltacha takes time out during Eastbourne tournament