According to the Guardian, UEFA has paid millions of subsidies to Russian clubs, but many Ukrainian teams have been left without.
The European Football Association, UEFA, has paid Russian clubs over EUR 10.8 million “solidarity support” since the teams were excluded from international fields due to war. On the matter tells the Guardian.
Five Ukrainian clubs, on the other hand, did not receive the same support. According to the Guardian, the reason was that the clubs were located in the war area.
Solidarity fees usually receive clubs that do not succeed in their domestic series so well to get involved in European games such as the Conference League and the European League. The purpose of financial support is to “preserve the balance of competition in Europe,” as the clubs that have entered the European games also make their success.
According to the Guardian, UEFA paid Solidarity support to the Russian Football Association EUR 3.3 million in the 2022-2023 season. In the following season, the amount was 3.4 million and in 2024-2025 already EUR 4.2 million.
The Russian Football Association has to grab the money to the clubs. According to the Guardian, UEFA paid EUR 6.2 million to the Russian Football Association in 2021-2022.
Russian teams were excluded from international games after the president Vladimir Putin expanded the Russian offensive war in Ukraine.
No money in Ukraine
The Ukrainian clubs did not receive the same financial subsidies.
The chairmen of five Ukrainian clubs contacted UEFA chairman Alexander to čeferin and complained that they had not received solidarity fees for the season 2023-2024 and 2024-2025.
The clubs said they had an explanation from Uefa and the Ukrainian Football Association that the case is related to the Swiss bank and the fact that the clubs are “in the area of military operations”.
– We have not received more detailed information or legal justification for limiting fees, the clubs protest.
The UEFA spokesman promised the club an answer to the letter, but it did not come.
The Russian Football Association has not been shelved for UEFA’s activities. The UEFA administration is involved in Russian Polina Jumaševa. She is the daughter of Vladimir Putin’s former adviser who had previously married oligark Oleg Deripaska with.