“The decision is discriminatory”: FIFA and UEFA suspended Russian clubs and teams from participating in tournaments

“Detrimental to a huge number of athletes”

The night before, FIFA and UEFA issued a joint statement announcing the suspension of Russian clubs and national teams from competitions under their auspices "until further notice".

Thus, Spartak lost the opportunity to play in the 1/8 finals of the Europa League, and the men's national team - in the play-offs for the right to take part in the final stage of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

“Football is united in this issue and expresses its full support for the people who suffer in Ukraine.

The presidents of FIFA and UEFA hope that the situation in Ukraine will improve as soon as possible and football will once again become a landmark of unity and peace among the people,” the UEFA official website says.

At the end of last week, UEFA only obliged teams from Russia and Ukraine to hold home matches on neutral territory.

On Sunday, FIFA tightened the sanctions.

Valery Karpin's wards in the future were supposed to play as the "RFS team" without a flag and an anthem, but they were not excluded from the number of participants in the World Cup selection.

Then the IOC recommended that the international federations remove the Russians and Belarusians from participation in all tournaments.

Most of the federations supported the committee: this was done in hockey, basketball, handball and other sports.

Unfortunately, football is no exception.

The reaction from the RFU was immediate.

There, the decision of FIFA and UEFA was considered contrary to the norms and principles of international competitions, as well as the spirit of sports.

“It is obviously discriminatory and harms a huge number of athletes, coaches, employees of clubs and national teams, and most importantly, millions of Russian and foreign fans, whose interests international sports organizations must protect in the first place,” the organization’s website says.

The RFU stressed that such actions split the world sports community and violate the principles of equality and independence from politics.

Also, the union reserved the right to challenge the verdict of higher organizations "in accordance with the norms of international sports law."

According to media reports, the RFU really intends to apply to CAS in the near future in order to protect the interests of Russian football players.

The head coach of the national team, Valery Karpin, who was actively working to prepare for the joints, was also annoyed by the tough decision.

In particular, in March the team was supposed to go to a preparatory camp in Turkey, but now the need for it has disappeared.

“To say that the coaching staff is disappointed is to say nothing.

Naturally, we expected that the winner of our four would be determined on the football field.

It is a pity for the guys who dreamed of playing at the 2022 World Cup and now have lost this hope.

I hope that FIFA and UEFA sanctions will be quickly lifted and Russian football will return to the international arena, ”Sports.ru quotes a specialist.

“The efforts of our team in this draw of the EL are crossed out”

Spartak also suffered from the verdict of higher organizations.

Muscovites performed more than adequately in the group stage of the Europa League and took first place in the quartet with Napoli, Leicester and Legia.

This allowed them to go directly to the 1/8 finals of the tournament.

Even on Friday, no one could have imagined that the red and white would lose the opportunity to enter the field.

During the draw, they received German Leipzig as rivals and were preparing for a meeting with former mentor Domenico Tedesco.

The club promised to focus on performance in the RPL and the Cup of the country.

“The decision, of course, upset us, although it was expected.

Unfortunately, the efforts of our team in this edition of the LE are crossed out for reasons that are as far as possible from sports.

Spartak has millions of fans not only in Russia, but all over the world.

Our successes and failures unite people from dozens of countries, and even in the most difficult times, from the point of view of the club, sport should build bridges, not burn them, ”said Dmitry Zelenov, head of the Moscow public relations department.

The club has not yet expressed a desire to challenge the ban, although, according to sports lawyer Anna Anceliovich, the red-whites have the opportunity to apply to CAS.

Given the proximity of meetings with Leipzig, a special panel can be created there, as in the case of Kamila Valieva at the Beijing Olympics.

“The cases are considered within a few hours.

There must be agreement between the parties, if all parties to the dispute are interested in expedited consideration of the case, then CAS can technically consider it in a few days, ”the TASS lawyer explained.

In Germany, the FIFA and UEFA directive was expectedly welcomed.

The DFB noted that although the Russian football players and fans are not responsible for the special operation in Ukraine, the current situation did not allow for a different solution.

They also supported him in Leipzig, expressing hope for a speedy resolution of the conflict.

“Respectable organizations have lost their credibility and are acting on someone else’s tune”

In Russia, the sanctions were met with indignation.

According to the ex-president of the RFU, Vyacheslav Koloskov, by introducing them, they demonstrated an unfriendly attitude in the leadership of world football.

“Neither the RFU, nor the clubs, nor the national teams violated any norms, neither statutory nor regulatory.

Acted in accordance with the norms, fulfilled all obligations.

There were no grounds for any sanctions.

They are simply killing Russian football in the bud.

They followed suit, under pressure from the European Union and its institutions, and made such a decision.

Of course, it’s a pity that public and respected organizations have lost their authority and are acting to someone else’s tune, ”the functionary complained.

Leading Russian coaches also spoke on this topic.

Zenit mentor Sergei Semak after the match with Rubin recalled that sport has nothing to do with politics.

“Our job is to do our job.

As for justice, injustice - of course, sport has nothing to do with politics.

Naturally, I really want sports to remain out of politics, and people still have the opportunity to do what they love, ”the specialist emphasized.

Leonid Slutsky, in turn, considers it important that the players continue to enter the field.

“I am very glad that today we played, it was a happy opportunity to show all the best qualities and shortcomings.

It seems to me that it is very important to have the opportunity for all football players to enter the field and demonstrate their level of skill, ”Slutsky emphasized.

Even the former Spartak helmsman Massimo Carrera supported his colleagues.

“I believe that sport should remain outside the discussion of political issues.

I hope the current situation will improve as soon as possible and peace will return, ”R-Sport quotes the Italian.