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FIFA and UEFA suspend Russian...

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FIFA and UEFA suspend Russian teams from all competitions until further notice

98FM
98FM

05:39 28 Feb 2022


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FIFA and UEFA have suspended Russian football teams from all competitions until further notice. 

The joint move by the European and World Football governing bodies follows the Russian invasion of Ukraine last week.

Over the weekend Poland announced they would refuse to play Russia in their World Cup play-off semi-final, which is set to take place next month.

The winner of that game is due to play the winner of Sweden and the Czech Republic, with both of those countries also declaring they will not play Russia.

A series of "initial measures'" agreed by the FIFA Council on Sunday were met with much anger.

These would have seen the qualifier go ahead but at a neutral venue, with no spectators and Russia would also be forced to go by the name 'Football Union of Russia (RFU).'

Russia hosted the last World Cup in 2018.

The joint statement on Monday evening said:

"Following the initial decisions adopted by the FIFA Council and the UEFA Executive Committee, which envisaged the adoption of additional measures, FIFA and UEFA have today decided together that all Russian teams, whether national representative teams or club teams, shall be suspended from participation in both FIFA and UEFA competitions until further notice.

"These decisions were adopted today by the Bureau of the FIFA Council and the Executive Committee of UEFA, respectively the highest decision-making bodies of both institutions on such urgent matters."Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine. 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."

This decision by FIFA and UEFA comes just hours after the International Olympic Committee recommended all sports federations ban athletes from Russia and Belarus.

Russia's Women's team will now not play at the UEFA Women's Championship in England this summer.

Spartak Moscow meanwhile will be removed from the Europa League last-16 with R-B Leipzig receiving a bye.

St. Petersburg has already been stripped of the Champions League Final.

UEFA has also cancelled its sponsorship deal with Russian energy firm Gazprom, which is worth €40 million a season.


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