Could the collateral damage of FIFA’s reform be the loss of Britain’s home teams?

Insideworldfootball

It was always to be expected that the London 2102 Olympics would see a Team GB in football for the one and only time in the modern era. This was inevitable given the vehement opposition of the Scots, and the lukewarm response of the other home nations; fearful that an Olympic Team GB will mean the end of Britain's unique position in world football, the only country with four teams.

But while Team GB in the wider football world will never come about, I get the strong sense that the London Games marked a major, indeed historic, shift in the relationship between the FA and FIFA, and the other home nations. It is, in many ways, a further development of what has been a steady progression for some time. And when the change is finally confirmed, as I expect it to be soon, it will mean that the English FA, which has often had a turbulent rollercoaster ride with FIFA, will have finally come to terms with the world organisation. In essence, what the change amounts to is that the FA no longer wants to be tied to the home nations when it comes to international football.