UEFA distances itself from FIFA, no plans to readmit Russia | OneFootball

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin stated this Thursday that the European Confederation remains in favor of excluding Russian clubs and the national team from international competitions, while FIFA President Gianni Infantino recently declared his support for readmission.

“UEFA’s position is clear and has not changed,” Ceferin said at a press conference in Brussels, where the 50th UEFA Congress is taking place, refusing to “interfere” in discussions held by other parties.

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Unyielding President

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, UEFA has clearly conditioned the return of Russians on the end of the conflict.

“I can’t comment on what FIFA does or what governments say,” added the Slovenian official, who emphasized that he follows “what’s happening on a daily basis.”

“The world changes. Let’s see what the future holds for us,” he continued.

FIFA’s Stance

In an interview given on February 3rd to Sky News, Gianni Infantino answered affirmatively to a question about ending the ban on Russia since the large-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago.

“We have to consider this, without a doubt,” said Infantino, taking an unprecedented stance on the subject.

Although the conflict is still ongoing, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recently recommended that sports federations allow Russian teams to participate in youth, non-professional competitions.

“This exclusion has contributed nothing, it has only generated more frustration and hatred. The fact that Russian boys and girls could play football in other regions of Europe would be something positive,” argued Infantino.

The official added that FIFA should consider changing its rules so that no country can be excluded from competitions: “In reality, we should never ban a country from playing football because of the actions of its political leaders.”

Shortly after, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov praised Infantino’s words in a press conference.

With content from AFP*

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.