In a dramatic development, the world football’s governing body Fifa and Europe’s governing body Uefa have suspended Russian national and club teams from all competitions with immediate effect. The decision was taken after global condemnation for FIFA for not banning Russia in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.
A statement from FIFA 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.
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“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.”
Earlier, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had announced a ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from taking part in any organised international competitions.
The decision by FIFA effectively means that Russia will not be able to take part in the World Cup qualifying match scheduled for next month. Russia’s women teams too will not be able to take part in this year’s European Championship.
Poland Football Association President Cezary Kulesza had earlier lashed out at the football governing body FIFA for its ‘unacceptable’ decision on Russia after the country invaded a sovereign nation, Ukraine.
Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic have refused to play their World Cup qualifying matches against Russia in the wake of Vladimir Putin’s decision to wage a bloody war on Ukraine, leaving thousands killed and millions displaced.