FIFA and UEFA suspend Russia from international football | News

FIFA and UEFA suspend Russia’s national and club teams from all international football competitions after backlash over President Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Russia was expelled from the 2022 World Cup and its teams suspended from all international football competitions “until further notice” after President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, FIFA announced in a joint statement with UEFA on Tuesday. Monday.

The men’s team was due to play the World Cup qualifying playoffs in Qatar later this year in March, while the women’s team had qualified for the European Championship in England, which will take place in July.

The announcement also affects Russian clubs participating in European competitions.

“FIFA and UEFA have today jointly decided that all Russian teams, whether national representative teams or club teams, will be suspended from participation in FIFA and UEFA competitions until further notice,” the governing bodies said. of world and European football.

Russia was due to play Poland in a World Cup qualifying playoff semifinal on March 24, and could have faced Sweden or the Czech Republic on March 29 for a place in the final.

But his three potential opponents insisted they would boycott the matches.

Focus changed

FIFA announced on Sunday that Russian teams will be allowed to continue playing under the Russian Football Union name, playing home games on neutral territory behind closed doors, and with the Russian flag and anthem banned.

But those moves were dismissed as “totally unacceptable” by Polish FA president Cezary Kulesza, who added that Poland would not play their World Cup play-off with Russia, “regardless of the team name”.

FIFA changed its approach on Monday and expelled Russia from the sport’s main tournament.

“Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all affected people in Ukraine,” the statement added.

“Both presidents [Gianni Infantino and Aleksander Ceferin] I hope that the situation in Ukraine will improve significantly and quickly so that football can once again be a vector of unity and peace between people.”

Russia was due to play the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland in their group at the Women’s Euro Cup.

Spartak Moscow were due to face Germany’s RB Leipzig in the Europa League round of 16 next month.