Kosovo threatens to withdraw from the Spain match ... you know the reason

The Spanish newspaper "Marca" reported that the Kosovo Football Association had threatened to quit playing in Spain in the World Cup qualifiers, if the country's flag was not allowed to be raised and its national anthem played before kick-off.

Spain is among the five countries of the European Union that do not officially recognize Kosovo as an independent state, along with Slovakia, Greece, Cyprus and Romania.

The newspaper said: "Spain's position on Kosovo means that the flags of the two countries cannot be raised together before the match, which will be held in Seville on March 31, and that the music will not be described as the national anthem of Kosovo."

The Kosovo Federation responded by harshly criticizing the Spanish federation during a statement on its website, Tuesday, after the Spanish national team's Twitter account described its World Cup qualifiers as a "boycott."

The Kosovo Federation’s statement said it insists on playing the anthem and raising the country's flag, stressing that "without this, the match will not take place."

The Kosovo Federation confirmed that it would send a letter to the Spanish Federation and would reach the European Union, "UEFA" "in search of protection" from the continental union, which it joined in 2016, along with FIFA as well.

The Spanish federation was not immediately available for comment.

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