Russian national teams at adult level will remain excluded from competitions organised by UEFA, the European continental governing body. But there is a change.
The European Football Union UEFA will allow Russian youth teams to participate in its competitions again. This was decided by the UEFA Executive Committee at its meeting on Tuesday in Limassol, Cyprus. At the same time, however, the ban against all Russian senior teams was confirmed as long as the war of aggression in Ukraine continues. As justification, the federation said children “should not be punished for actions for which only adults are responsible.” The reinstatement of Russian youth teams should rather serve as a “message of peace and hope”.
“UEFA’s continued ban on Russian adult teams reflects its commitment to take a stand against violence and aggression,” said President Aleksander Ceferin. “UEFA is determined to maintain this stance until the war is over and peace is restored,” the 55-year-old reiterated.
However, by excluding children and young people so far, the governing body was “not only failing to recognise a fundamental right for their holistic development” but “discriminating against them directly”, the UEFA president said. “By giving them the opportunity to play and compete with their peers from all over Europe, we are investing in what we hope will be a smarter and more capable future generation and a better tomorrow,” Ceferin hoped.
Continue without anthem and flag
A technical solution to reinstate Russian teams is now to be worked out, even though draws for U-17 tournaments, for example, have already taken place. It remains the case, however, that these teams will field without anthems and flags. Competitions on Russian soil are also still excluded.
