1. FC Köln demands that Belarusian clubs be excluded from international competitions. A corresponding letter was sent to UEFA.
“FC have also personally informed DFB leaders of this stance and are in contact with the other teams involved in qualifying for the UEFA Europa Conference League group stage in order to solicit support from these circles.”, according to a statement published by the Bundesliga soccer club on Thursday (07/21/2022). The text of the letter The club also published the message to UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.
Cologne will be playing for a place in the group stage of the Europa Conference League in August. They could be drawn to one of three teams from Belarus in the playoffs. According to the current status, it is also possible that they will meet the Belarusian champions Shakhtyor Soligorsk in the group phase.
Belarus “vassal state and staging area for the Russian army”
President Werner Wolf called Belarus one “vassal state”who as “deployment area used for the Russian army” will. Therefore, one must Belarus “not as a direct participant in the war, but as an indirect one”an exclusion of the clubs by UEFA “very consistent”.
Wolf also confirmed that FC had written to all other participating clubs “with a request to support us.” However, if UEFA does not take action and Cologne are drawn an opponent from Belarus, “We would compete under the current circumstances, but use the stage we get there to demonstrate against the war”.
Suspension of Russia four days after the start of the war
Belarus, led by the despot Alexander Lukashenko, supports Russia, which attacked Ukraine on February 24, 2022 in a war of aggression that violated international law.
Four days later, due to international pressure, UEFA suspended the Russian national team, which was thus no longer allowed to take part in qualifying for the World Cup in Qatar, and the clubs as well.
UEFA does not follow the IOC recommendation
Shortly before, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had recommended temporarily banning Belarusian sport as well. However, UEFA did not follow this recommendation, only stipulating that teams from Belarus must play on a neutral pitch.
One day after the start of the war, Cologne’s league rivals RB Leipzig were faced with the question of whether they would play in the Europa League against the drawn Spartak Moscow. Leipzig decided to play and, thanks to the suspension that followed a little later, got on without a fight.
The national associations from the Czech Republic, Poland and Sweden, on the other hand, had submitted to the world association FIFA that they would not play against Russia in the qualification for the World Cup.