Finland are unhappy with Queens Park Rangers‘ decision to recall Glen Kamara from the international break and will lodge a complaint with Fifa against the Championship side.
The defensive midfielder made his national team debut in 2017 and played 72 matches so far.
Manager Jacob Friis left the QPR man as an unused substitute in the 7-0 win over San Marino in September. He started in the goalless draw against Belarus and came off the bench in the 2-1 win over Albania at the weekend.
The national team will face Belarus and it’s their last fixture of this international break. The 30-year-old isn’t part of the squad because QPR pressured him to return to the club.
Anger in Finland over QPR’s decision
Finland football association general secretary Marco Casagrande blames QPR for putting pressure on the midfielder.
He spoke to Helsingin Sanomat to share his frustration, their action plan and how it can impact QPR.
Their FA insists the London club didn’t comply with FIFA regulations when they asked him to leave midway through the international break. The official didn’t hesitate to pin the blame on Julien Stéphan’s side.
“It is really unfortunate that he is being put in a situation where he has to make a really difficult choice in practice due to pressure from the club,” he said.
“The regulations are very clear. In our view, they were not followed in this instance. The player is in a difficult position. We regret it, and of course, understand it.”
| Glen Kamara — club statistics | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | 2026/27 so far |
|---|---|---|---|
| Club(s) | Rennes / Al-Shabab (loan) | Rennes | QPR (loan) |
| Appearances | 27 | 5 | 7 |
| Starts | 19 | 1 | 3 |
| Total minutes played | 1,671 | 88 | 395 |
| Goals | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Assists | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Yellow cards | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Will report QPR to Fifa
The newspaper states Finland will report the London club to the sport’s governing body. The general secretary further adds Fifa can take action against QPR.
Marco Casagrande explained: “We will certainly inform FIFA. The player has not been available for the entire international match window, as the regulations say he should be. After that, it is up to FIFA how they proceed with the matter.”
He didn’t involve himself in the talks between the Championship side and the national team over the past few days.
“The club made it very clear that they wanted the player for their next match and wanted him to return to the club,” he added.
“They informed me at the point when the decision had already been made. Kamara had announced he was leaving, and he had a flight booked back to his club.”
“I suggested it might perhaps be a good idea for them to get in touch with us, as this is, after all, an exceptional situation. In principle, Glen should be with us.”
“If we have to find someone to blame, then yes, our eyes turn a little towards the club. However, I wouldn’t want to do that to Glen. The player finds himself in a difficult situation at this point.”
Potential suspension for QPR man
QPR gave Glen Kamara as escape route by signing him on loan from Stade Rennais in the summer. Julien Stéphan played a key role in his arrival in the English capital.
He played 397 minutes from seven matches for the club so far. On Friday, the London club will face West Ham United, and the former Rangers man risks missing this clash.
Helsingin Sanomat states: ‘According to FIFA regulations, a player called up to the national team may not, without the consent of the national football association, play for his club during the period when he is, or should have been, released for national team duty, nor for five days following the end of that period.’
This window ends on October 6th, and Finland need to give their approval for Kamara to feature for QPR until this weekend. If they don’t, he will miss Friday’s clash against the Hammers.
“That is what it says,” Marco Casagrande added.
When asked whether the QPR man can return to the national team in the future, he said: “I guess that’s not the question here. Of course, the head coach decides who plays.”
