Finland's men's football team's World Cup 2022 qualifier against Bosnia and Herzegovina — scheduled for Saturday 13 November in the city of Zenica — is in doubt as political tensions escalate in the region.
A report from the UN's Office of the High Representative (OHR) said the country currently faces its "greatest existential threat" since the end of the Bosnian War in 1995 as Serbian separatists push for secession.
"Persistent, grave challenges to the fundamentals of the General Framework Agreement for Peace (GFAP) by the Republika Srpska (RS) entity authorities, led by the biggest RS party, the Alliance for Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) headed by BiH Presidency member Milorad Dodik, endanger not only the peace and stability of the country and the region, but – if unanswered by the international community – could lead to the undoing of the Agreement itself," the UN report stated.
Finland's Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto (Green) told Yle's breakfast show Ykkösaamu on Monday morning he is "concerned" the political crisis in the region could lead to a military conflict.
"When it comes to the situation in the Balkans, the tensions are always so high that one can often consider the possibility of a military conflict. That is why more attention should be paid to this," Haavisto said, adding that he hoped the game could go ahead.
Ari Lahti, chair of the Finnish Football Association, told Yle Sport that European football's governing body UEFA is closely monitoring the situation in the region and may decide to switch the game to a neutral venue.
Supporters told to stay home, because of Covid
Authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina had already instructed Finnish fans not to travel to the game because of the deteriorating coronavirus situation in the country.
However, Yle understands that about 100 Finnish supporters are still planning to travel to the game — even though they may be denied entry to the stadium.
"According to the information we received on Friday, no visiting supporters will be admitted into the Zenica stadium, as the local vaccination situation is poor and there are clearly more Covid cases than in Finland," Lahti said.
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The national team's supporter's association, SMJK, has submitted an appeal to UEFA against the decision to prevent fans from gaining access to the ground.
"It would seem to me that this is just pure gamesmanship aimed at increasing the home team's advantage. Finland has clearly less Covid infections than there are in Bosnia, so you can sense that this is just an excuse that also involves the authorities," SMJK's ticketing manager Jussi Hartikainen told Yle Sport, further noting that away fans are allowed to attend games in the country's domestic league.
Saturday's game is crucial in Finland's quest to qualify for a World Cup finals for the first time ever as a win would see the Huuhkajat, or Eagle Owls, move into second place in the group with just one round of matches left to play.
The two teams played out a 2-2 draw in the reverse fixture earlier this year in Helsinki.
Finland last travelled to Zenica during the successful campaign to qualify for the 2020 European Championship finals, but lost 4-1 on that occasion.
"At least last time, Zenica was a bad place for Finland to play, but it didn't feel any stranger there than in any other away match," Lahti recalled.