Soccer-FIFA still pondering Kosovo plea for players to switch

By Brian Homewood ZURICH, Sept 1 (Reuters) - FIFA is still considering a request from new members Kosovo to allow a number of players to switch national teams and represent them, world soccer's ruling body said on Thursday. Kosovo, who play their first competitive international on Monday when they visit Finland in a World Cup qualifier, were accepted as members of FIFA and European football's governing body UEFA in May despite fierce opposition from Serbia. FIFA told Reuters in a statement that it had received a "series of requests for change of associations from the Football Federation of Kosovo. "The various applications are currently pending and being investigated. As a result we are not in a position to further comment on them, nor to give an estimation of the time line." Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008, said on Wednesday they had made requests for nine players to switch national teams, without identifying them. Switzerland and Albania both have players with Kosovar roots. FIFA does not ordinarily allow players to switch national teams once they have represented one country in a competitive international. However, the statement said it was not clear whether these rules were applicable if players wanted to change to a team that had not previously been a FIFA member. "The specific circumstances of the matter at hand concerning the admission of a new member to FIFA and players potentially eligible to play for it appear not to be conclusively governed (by the statutes)," added soccer's ruling body. It said FIFA's players' status committee were considering the requests "while taking into consideration all relevant and specific facts and circumstances of the matter". Finland's Kosovo-born midfielder Perparim Hetemaj has said he will not play in Monday's match. (Editing by Tony Jimenez)