"All responsibility is on the participating teams": why UEFA allowed a ban on Suleymanov's entry to Poland

Russian athletes continue to experience problems due to all sorts of sanctions.

And if earlier it was more about suspension from participation in competitions, now they can not always play in the tournaments they are admitted to, due to changes in the rules for entering certain countries.

Already stopped issuing visas to citizens of the Russian Federation in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic and Poland.

Last week, Anatoly Karpov failed to get to Switzerland for a UN event.

At the same time, not only the athletes themselves will suffer from this decision, but also the teams in which the Russians play.

So, the upcoming tour of the group stage of the League of Conferences will miss the midfielder of Hapoel from Beer Sheva Magomed-Shapi Suleymanov.

The Israelis were supposed to meet Lech in Poznan on October 6, but Poland did not give the footballer permission to enter the country, since he is a Russian citizen.

Representatives of the club tried to somehow settle the situation, but local officials did not make concessions.

And according to the player's agent Alan Aguzarov, there are practically no chances to take part in the match.

“There is a high probability that he will remain at the base of the club and will not go with the team.

Magomed himself is very upset, as he is now in good shape.

It is a pity that a little unsportsmanlike moments interfere in the matter.

Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do in this situation.

Shapi really wanted to help the team, ”RB Sport quotes Aguzarov as saying.

The absence of Suleymanov in the match against Lech is a big loss for Hapoel.

In six out of nine matches, he came out in the starting lineup of the Israelis.

It was the Russian who helped the team reach the Conference League.

In a meeting with Universitate, he made an assist in extra time, and then converted a shot from a spot in the penalty shootout.  

Other players may have similar problems.

In particular, Pyunik defender Mikhail Kovalenko.

On October 13, the team from Armenia meets in Lithuania with Zalgiris. 

At the same time, UEFA, under whose auspices the League conference is being held, so far prefer not to interfere in the situation.

“All travel requirements, including visa applications, are the responsibility of participating teams.

The relevant authorities are the only decision makers in this regard and it is the responsibility of the participating team to contact them.

For more information, we recommend that you contact Hapoel directly," the press service of the union told the Championship.

In other words, the organization said: deal with your own problems.

Which looks a little strange, because this way the discrimination against Russian athletes is even more intensified, although UEFA, on the contrary, should protect their interests.

At the same time, similar situations have already arisen before.

More recently, the Czech Republic did not want to let domestic hockey players from the NHL into the exhibition matches that will take place this week.

Then the “San Jose” and “Nashville” said that they would refuse to go to the country if at least one team member was not allowed to cross the border.

“Either we all go, or no one.

We are a team.

It's not the fault of the players.

They didn't do anything wrong.

I don't think they should be punished for this.

We are in solidarity with them, and we are all one here, ”Sharks general manager Mike Greer said at the time.

The conflict was quickly settled, as the Russians received visas even before the government imposed new sanctions.

However, there is confidence that the NHL in any case would not have backed down, but simply refused to meet in the Czech Republic and moved them to the United States. 

A more striking example occurred in 2019.

Then the IPC deprived Malaysia of the right to host the Paralympic Swimming Championships due to the ban on the entry of Israeli athletes into the country. 

“When a host eliminates athletes for political reasons, we have absolutely no alternative but to look for a new tournament host.

The Paralympic Movement has always been and will always be driven by a desire for inclusion, not exclusion.

Regardless of the countries involved in this matter, the IPC will again make the same decision if it encounters a similar situation involving other countries, ”said then the head of the organization, Andrew Parsons.

There were difficult cases in football.

All in the same 2019, Henrikh Mkhitaryan did not go to the Europa League final in Baku, where his Arsenal met with Chelsea, due to the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

At the same time, UEFA intervened in the situation and received security guarantees from the host country.

In fact, there was no ban on entry into Azerbaijan for the football player, but he still decided not to risk it.

Today, the union also has leverage.

From the country you can request all the same guarantees of participation in European competitions of all players, regardless of nationality.

And in case of their absence, to transfer matches from these states to a neutral field.

So UEFA will show its attitude towards discrimination not in words, but in deeds.

Instead, a dangerous precedent is now being set that will enable other countries to do the same.

And not necessarily in relation to the Russians.

This means that everything that UEFA has been fighting for so long will seep into European football.