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[THREAD 
] Today is #Dayton25 aniversary as it was signed in Paris on december 14th 1995. Many events are organized including ours 10 days ago with @CdBalkans of which I am damn proud given the panelists we had.
Yet let me tell you a specific Dayton story related to football
] Today is #Dayton25 aniversary as it was signed in Paris on december 14th 1995. Many events are organized including ours 10 days ago with @CdBalkans of which I am damn proud given the panelists we had.Yet let me tell you a specific Dayton story related to football
This is a story based on archives I could consult at FIFA in Zurich (open and free for researchers, I found amazing things besides what I'll show you here, on 87 and Maksimir) in the frame of my PhD research. I'll name it "Daytonization of the Bosnian football federation" 2/
From march 1992, because of war and impossibility to play, most clubs from Bosnia are excluded from the last Yugo league (
clubs left in june 91).
During the war, football is first suspended, then resumes along ethnic lines as Richard Mills shows https://m.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-politics-of-football-in-yugoslavia-richard-mills/1126512624
clubs left in june 91). During the war, football is first suspended, then resumes along ethnic lines as Richard Mills shows https://m.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-politics-of-football-in-yugoslavia-richard-mills/1126512624
Croatian club Zrinjski Mostar comes back to life but doesn't win the Herceg Bosna League. You'd expect Borac Banja Luka to win the Republika Srpska league. Wrong again. Borac's president asked FIFA to play in FRY league instead. 100% political move, as you can read here 4/
Paradox is that FRY is then suspended from international football by UN embargo that included sport sanctions I also studied, but that's another story. You may also ask: who was FIFA's interlocutor in Bosnia during the war and how did they communicate. Here goes the situation 5/
There was a Bosnian football federation (FA) as part of Yugoslav FA. So there were people in Sarajevo to talk to although competitions had stopped for 18 months. Problem was...those people just litteraly couldn't be reached. The FA and FIFA had 2 options. 1) going through FA
FA
OR, and this is one of the most fantastic things I found out, going through Faruk Hadžibegić who was still playing for FC Sochaux in France. Hence this incredible fax from FCS signed by Faruk in the name of Bosnia's FA to FIFA regarding its candidacy to full membership in FIFA 7/
On june 1995, as you can read below, the Bosnian FA is granted provisional member statute. It can only play friendlies, and abroad, but it's a first important victory. Now let's move on. Dayton is signed. You have 3 FAs. Herceg Bosna FA, Republika Srpska FA, and Bosnia FA 8/
The journey to the reunification of Bosnia FA speaks volume on perceptions of actors of what Bosnia and the DPA mean to them. Let me explain. You have 2 cases. First, the Croats from Herceg Bosna. The HB FA would send MANY long letters to FIFA to demand to be treated as equal 9/
To Bosnia FA and RS FA. Thus they see themselves as 3 equal FA while FIFA see Bosnia FA in Sarajevo as its unique interlocutor, and pays attention never to answer HB FA letters other than "talk to Sarajevo". Some letters from 1996 are sent AFTER Herceg Bosna ceased to exist 10/
They trigger a strong reaction from Sarajevo whose position is that they are the head of Bosnian football, an umbrella for both HB and RS FAs, thus not equal as the Croats think. No need to translate the comment in french added by Blatter's assistant in the second fax 11/
What about the Serbs you may ask? Well, like in politics, they don't give a shit, they don't want to be there, they don't want to have anything to do with Sarajevo. Hence this fax from RS FA, the only one I could find, written in poor english asking for FIFA full membership 12/
In order to unify the Bosnian FA, FIFA met with diplomats, the OHR etc. and decided to copy Dayton institutions, thus asking Sarajevo to be the umbrella to the 2 entities FA. Meeting this condition was key to get full membership. But Croats and RS refused, so Blatter insisted 13/
In this letter he wrote, he says Bosnia should be accepted, or it never will. See, to become a member, you have to control football on your territory, which Bosnia FA in Sarajevo certainly did not in 1996. As for many things post-war, a push was needed from the outside 14/
After this, Croats and Bosniaks in the Federacija entity started with a playoff from 1998, a condition demanded so that clubs can play European cups. 2000 brought positive political changes in 
, Serbs from RS finally joined the FA after they got 1/3 of votes in assembly BUT
, Serbs from RS finally joined the FA after they got 1/3 of votes in assembly BUT
FIFA always said, like Holbrooke also said, that this agreement copying Dayton was only provisional and should be reformed. Sounds familiar to you? Pressure from 2005 to 2010 brought no result, so in 2011, FIFA decided to SUSPEND the Bosnia FA after failing to reform statute 16/
And it worked! I wrote part of my PhD on why it worked, @laurence_cooley and @JasminMuj wrote a long article as well. Why did it work while it doesn't in politics?
1) strong conditionality. You don't abide? Fine, you're out (staying out of EU is fine to Bosnia's kleptocrats) 17/
1) strong conditionality. You don't abide? Fine, you're out (staying out of EU is fine to Bosnia's kleptocrats) 17/
Which is why IMF conditionality is stronger than EU's one although their demands are questionable: kleptocrats need their money.
2) it's "only" football = not crucial. Look at how Serbia gave sport away to Kosovo. I wrote about it here with @DarioBrentin https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09592296.2016.1169799
2) it's "only" football = not crucial. Look at how Serbia gave sport away to Kosovo. I wrote about it here with @DarioBrentin https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09592296.2016.1169799
3) Borac Banja Luka was champion. A suspension would have impeded them from playing Champions League.
4) Unique personality of Ivica Osim, the legendary last Yugoslavia's coach. Key factor. He talked to political leaders, especially Dodik as Serbs were blocking. Ponos Bosne
4) Unique personality of Ivica Osim, the legendary last Yugoslavia's coach. Key factor. He talked to political leaders, especially Dodik as Serbs were blocking. Ponos Bosne
Not to say that @NFSBiH is fine now. Yet is a FIFA style action still possible today?
Back to Dayton, many voices point out that the Biden administration could bring a new momentum for decisive reform fos Bosnia. On this, I share @EricGordy view here
https://mobile.twitter.com/EricGordy/status/1338040588713811970?s=19
Back to Dayton, many voices point out that the Biden administration could bring a new momentum for decisive reform fos Bosnia. On this, I share @EricGordy view here
https://mobile.twitter.com/EricGordy/status/1338040588713811970?s=19
You can find a longer version of this story, as well as many others on football fans, Maksimir, Kosovo parallel league etc. in this book. If you don't read french, I don't blame you, find an editor to translate, I'll be thrilled (what about italian @NicolaSbetti 
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PS: this is the first game Bosnia could play at home against Italy. In the afternoon as lights were still broken. Look at the flag, look at the currency
