Bosnia to Change Football Rules to Escape Suspension

“The suspension might be lifted on May 31 or June 1,” said Jasmin Bakovic, NSBiH Secretay General

Jasmin Bakovic, secretary general of Bosnia's Football Association, NSBiH, told Balkan Insight he expected the assembly of NSBiH to adopt the new statute in its session on Thursday.

Bosnia's national football team, along with all Bosnian clubs, was suspended from international soccer matches on April 1, after the football federation's assembly refused to change its statute and replace its three-member presidency – made up of a Bosniak, a Croat and a Serb – with a single president.

Meanwhile, a so-called normalization committee was set up by FIFA and UEFA to convince the assembly members to adopt the statute demanded by world football governing bodies, appointing the well known coach Ivica Osim as head of the committee.

FIFA and UEFA said they wanted to see the statute changed and the three-member presidency replaced with one president before lifting international suspension of Bosnia's teams.

"Over the last month, we held numerous talks in order to reach the compromise, and I’m assured the statute will be adopted," Jasmin Bakovic said.

He added that he was very pleased by yesterday’s decision of the Football Association of Republika Srpska, Bosnia’s Serb-dominated entity, to support the new statute, since they had rejected FIFA demands at the assembly’s last session in March.

Key to the resolution of the dispute was Ivica Osim's recent meeting with the president of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, after which the Serb entity's Football Association unanimously passed a decision to adopt the statute with one president on May 24.

“The suspension might be lifted on May 31 or June 1 at the FIFA Congress, which would allow our junior team to meet San Marino on June 1 and, of course, allow our national representation to continue playing qualifiers for the Euro 2012,” Bakovic said.

Bosnia has never featured in a major football international tournament, but still has the chance to end as the best team in its group in qualifiers for Euro 2012, after making a promising start.

The next game is scheduled on June 3 with Romania, but it will only be played if FIFA, UEFA, lift the suspension.