Kolkata: FIFA and UEFA have suspended all Russian international teams and clubs from participating in their tournaments “until further notice”. The governing bodies of both the organizations issued a joint statement informing the same.
FIFA and UEFA suspend Russian clubs and national teams from all competitions.
Full statement: ⬇️
— UEFA (@UEFA) February 28, 2022
UEFA had already stripped Saint Petersburg’s Gazprom Arena of the Champions League final event which is about to be played on May 28 and awarded the same to Stade de France in Paris.
Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, and Aleksander Čeferin, the president of UEFA said,” “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.”
UEFA hosts various club competitions, which include the Champions League for men and women, Europa League for men, and the UEFA Conference League for men as well. In the Europa league Russian club Spartak Moscow was due to play RB Leipzig.
The first leg was to be held in Germany on March 10 and the second leg was scheduled to be played on March 17. The games have been called off and UEFA announced,” “The UEFA Europa League matches between RB Leipzig and FC Spartak Moskva cannot take place, and, as a consequence, RB Leipzig are qualified to the quarter-finals of the competition.”
As the international fixture stands, Russia will not be able to play against Poland in their World Cup playoff the match which was originally announced to be played on March 24.
In wake of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, UEFA and FIFA announced, “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.”
