THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
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Russia kicked out of international football over Ukraine invasion

Russia kicked out of international football over Ukraine invasion

FIFA and UEFA have suspended all Russian teams, both national and club level, from participation in international competitions until further notice following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The decisions were adopted by the Bureau of the FIFA Council and UEFA executives, and follow the International Olympic Committee’s move to ban Russian athletes.

“Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine,” FIFA and UEFA said in a joint statement on Monday. “Both presidents hope that the situation in Ukraine will improve significantly and rapidly so that football can again be a vector for unity and peace amongst people.”

On Sunday, FIFA had said Russian teams could continue to participate in global competitions but not under their own flag or on Russian soil. These measures were in line with recommendations from the IOC but they came under pressure after national teams including Poland, England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland said they would not play Russia in World Cup qualifiers.

In another highly significant move, UEFA has ended its partnership with Gazprom across all competitions. The Russian gas company had been a major sponsor of the UEFA Champions League for the past 10 years and this year’s final was due to take place at the Gazprom Arena in St Petersburg.

The decision covers all existing agreements including the Champions League, UEFA national team competitions and UEFA Euro 2024.

 

Russia kicked out of international football over Ukraine invasion

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