US President Donald Trump pushes the attacked Ukraine to a solution in the war with Russia. The UEFA and FIFA are becoming more and more open to the return of Russia to the game.
In football, Russian teams are currently suspended by FIFA and UEFA. On February 2, around three years after Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began his attack war against Ukraine, the Russian Football Association RFU was visited. Zoran Lakovićin which UEFA was responsible for the national associations, appeared at the RFU Congress in Moscow – and spoke conciliatory words.
Zoran Laković, UEFA director national associations at the RFU Congress in Moscow
“I hope that this year Russian sport, including the national soccer team, will finally return where he was before this situation”said Laković according to a report by the Russian association. “You will return to the European sports family.”
Laković used to be general secretary of the Serbian Football Association. He made a comparison to the exclusion of Yugoslavia from the 1992 European Championship in the face of the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina. “The main principle of sport is the guarantee of participation for everyone. Sport should unite.claimed the UEFA official. The relationship between the UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin and the freshly re-elected RFU President Alexander Djukow is “At the highest level”said Laković and organized greetings from the UEFA president.
Uefa President Aleksander Ceferin
Ceferin: “European politicians didn’t want to negotiate”
The UEFA did not comment on a request from the sports show for its general attitude for a return of Russian teams to the game. The UEFA President Ceferin indirectly spoke in the matter. European politicians would have “Do not want to discuss with Russia about the end of the war in Ukraine”criticized cefiner in the Slovenian newspaper “Delo“.
“Now the United States is negotiating with Russia. And the same European politicians are wondering why the Americans are negotiating without consulting them. They should understand that greater interests are at stake”said Ceferin at a time when US President Trump attributes the responsibility for the Russian attack by the attacked Ukraine.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin (left) with US President Donald Trump 2019
Russia Association president Gazprom-subsidiary
RFU President Djukow has been an important figure in European football for years. He is the managing director of Gazprom Neft, a subsidiary of the state Russian energy group Gazprom. He has also been sitting in the UEFA Executive Committee since 2021, the most powerful body in the UEFA. The relevant decisions for European football are made there.
RFU President Alexander Djukow (right) with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin
Gazprom was a major sponsor of UEFA for several years, the final of the Champions League was to be held in the Gazprom Arena in Saint Petersburg in 2022. The group headquarters of Gazprom also stand in the hometown of Vladimir Putin. When it became inevitable after the start of the war, the UEFA moved the final from Saint Petersburg to Paris and stopped sponsorship with Gazprom. However, the good relationship with Russia was by no means ended.
Long omnipresent: Gazprom advertising in the UEFA Champions League
2022: UEFA and FIFA wanted to continue playing Russia
When Russia’s leadership began his violation war in February 2022, FIFA and UEFA tried to solve the problem with a special procedure: Russia’s flag and hymn should not be used temporarily, the teams under the name “Football Association from Russia” instead of ” Russia “continue to play.
The associations from Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic destroyed the idea and announced not to compete against Russia in the playoffs of qualification for the 2022 World Cup. “The Polish national team will not play against Russia, no matter what the team is called”said the Polish association president Cezary Kulesza back then. A double -digit number of European associations followed the example, the DFB was not among them.
The FIFA and UEFA left no choice: they suspended the Russian teams of participating in their competitions, Russia’s association appealed to the International Sports Court CAS.
Russian teams are suspended – Russian officials are not
A crucial detail of the football sanctions: The teams were over, but the association itself was not suspended and remained a full member of UEFA and FIFA. While the European Union has frozen assets from Russia and companies such as Gazprom with sanctions to put the attacker under pressure, according to its financial reports alone in the financial year 2022/23, more than five million euros flowed via a funding program to Moscow. The FIFA also sent around 1.25 million euros to the Russian association in 2023, whose President Djukow, for example, is personally on a sanction in Great Britain.
Russia’s association president Alexander Djukow
The political influence for Russia was even more important than the money. Despite the war, Djukow remained part of the UEFA Executive Committee, which for the first time increased the door in 2023 for a return and allowed Russian U17 teams. The UEFA argued with a sporting participation of young people, critics saw a first opening and a sports policy success for the Russian regime.
While DFB Vice President Hans-Joachim Watzke agreed in the UEFA Executive Committee and later also DFB President Bernd Neuendorf in the FIFA Council with the opposition of the Federal Ministry of the Interior to re-approval from Russian U17 teams, several other European associations with boycott were threatened. The implementation of the decision was therefore postponed.
Djukow does not compete in the Executive Committee at the UEFA Congress in Belgrade on April 3. However, numerous Russian officials are still placed in UEFA sub -bodies.
FIFA President Infantino holds Russia’s order of friendship
FIFA also gave its waiting for the RFU Congress in Moscow. Elkhan Mammadov, in which FIFA is responsible for the European member associations, also directed greetings from his president Gianni Infantino out of. Infantino still holds the Russian “Order of Friendship”. Putin awarded him the 2019 award for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino (right) received the “Order of Friendship” by Wladimir Putin in 2019.
FIFA representative Mammadov emphasized in Moscow that FIFA and the Russian association were still in “Fertile alliance” would form. “I wish you success, good luck and the quick return of Russian football into the world”said the official.
Russia in the World Cup qualification? There would only be one group with Belarus
The return of Russian football into the world? Is this an indication of the 2026 World Cup? The European qualification has already been drawn, the schedule is. Will Russia still be added afterwards if there should be at least one end of the fighting before the first qualifying games at the end of March?
FIFA did not comment on a corresponding request from the sports show. The UEFA wrote: “The question of a admission of the Russian national team in a World Cup qualification group has not yet been addressed. We do not want to comment at the present time.” The association pointed out that suspension is currently still valid.
In the complex schedule, Russia would have to be the fifth team in one of the four groups in one of the four groups. For game planning reasons, the four groups would only be in question: Group C with the loser of the National League-Quarter -finals between Portugal and Denmark as well as Greece, Scotland and: Belarus. Belarus has been a play partner of Russian teams since the beginning of suspension. The Belarusian government has supported Russia militarily in the attack on Ukraine since February.