Lto FIFA has consummated its threat and He has thrown Russia out of the World Cup playoffs and therefore from Qatar 2022. Also to the Russian Women’s National Team, that next summer he will no longer be able to play the European Championship in England. UEFA, in tune, has agreed to exclude all Russian teams from continental competitions until further notice, and the first affected will be the Spartak Moscow that will not be able to play their Europa League tie against Leipzig FIFA had already warned after its Council last Sunday that “there is a possibility that Russia will be excluded from the play-off for the World Cup and therefore from the 2022 World Cup”. That threat has been fulfilled this Monday, after the UEFA Executive ratified it in an extraordinary meeting convened urgently by its president, Ceferin, who had previously held a conversation with his FIFA counterpart, Infantino.
In FIFA’s decision, supported by its six continental and subcontinental federations, the position of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) which has asked its national committees to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in any competition. The IOC has justified its decision by its obligation to “protect the integrity of world competitions and the safety of all participants”.
In addition, both FIFA and UEFA have not been able to look the other way in the face of the clamor from the European Union. England, Wales, Denmark, Holland and France they had made the decision not to play against Russia, not even on neutral territory, without an anthem or flag. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has already stated that it would be “inconceivable” for “normal sports relations” to exist with Putin’s Russia after the invasion of Ukraine.
Pressure from other European countries
The pressure from all the European countries for the invasion of Ukraine has therefore been decisive for FIFA, which has attended to the position of Poland, the country against which Russia had to play the playoffs at the end of March, and also the posture Sweden and the Czech Republic, the other two teams that competed for the European place for the World Cup and that could have crossed the path of Russia. All three countries were adamant. The CEO of the Danish Football Federation, Jakob Jensen, called for tougher measures against Russia: “We ask that Russia be excluded as long as this situation continues”. The Federation of England did not put hot cloths either: “This decision was taken out of solidarity with Ukraine and to condemn the atrocities that Russia is committing.”revealed in a statement.
Alekander Dyukov, Russia’s representative on the UEFA Council, He expressed his resounding opposition to the measures and from Moscow they warn that the decision will have other consequences beyond the field of play. Dyukov, in addition to being a member of UEFA, is the CEO of Gazprom and a good friend of Putin, since they were both born in St. Petersburg. At the same time, UEFA has decided to end its association with Gazprom in all competitions. The decision takes effect immediately and covers all existing agreements, including the Champions League, UEFA national team competitions and the Euro 2024.
Support from the RFEF
After the extraordinary meeting of the UEFA Executive Committee with the presence of Luis Rubiales as vice president of the European body, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) informs that it fully supports the decision of UEFA and FIFA to suspend the participation of Russian clubs and national teams in any UEFA or FIFA competition until further notice.
In this context, the RFEF considers that it cannot have any football relationship with the Russian Football Federation. The Russian players and their fans are not directly responsible for this situation, but the football organizations must act with determination and responsibility in the face of events of these characteristics in order to make the values linked to sport and which are part of its essence prevail throughout the world even with the contractual untying of certain commercial agreements.
The RFEF offers all its support and solidarity to the Ukrainian Football Federation and to all the Ukrainian people in these difficult times, and wishes for an immediate solution to the conflict.