Recognition, Ma Non Troppo: how FIFA dribbled the Spanish football schism during the Civil war

Abstract

ABSTRACT One of the facets of the Spanish Civil War’s sportive dimensions which has received relatively ample attention by scholars is the attitude of FIFA in the battle between de republican and the Francoists football federations for international recognition. The dominant interpretation of the facts is that the Francoists had already won this battle in late November 1937, when FIFA allegedly recognized it, and that this was somehow due to FIFA’s elite conservatism or even Nazi-fascist leanings. We contend that this was not the case. On the basis of a broad examination of Spanish, French and Belgian newspapers of the time, and a thorough search of FIFA archives in Zurich, we conclude that, although ambiguously, a FIFA dominated by a liberal elite remained true to its ‘no politics’ principle, avoiding to take sides, and actually suspending both sides until the end of the war, although tolerating unofficial international activity of both.