FIFA And UEFA Kick Out Russian Football Teams From International Competitions
While the international community is making all the efforts to isolate Russia - following its invasion of Ukraine - by sanctioning the country on many platforms, FIFA?and UEFA have also suspended Russia's national teams and clubs from international football.
According to the decision taken on Monday evening, Russia will be excluded from this year's World Cup and the women's Euro 2020 tournament.
"FIFA?and UEFA have today decided together that all Russian teams, whether national representative teams or club teams, shall be suspended from participation in both?FIFA?and UEFA competitions until further notice," UEFA said in a statement.
"These decisions were adopted today by the Bureau of the?FIFA?Council and the Executive Committee of UEFA, respectively the highest decision-making bodies of both institutions on such urgent matters," they added.
Earlier, Poland said that it would not play against Russia in a World Cup qualifying playoff on March 24.?
Czech Republic and Sweden, who are in the same playoff 'path', had also ruled out facing Russia.
"Both Presidents (of the soccer bodies) hope that the situation in Ukraine will improve significantly and rapidly so that football can again be a vector for unity and peace amongst people," UEFA said.
The organisation said a further decision would be made at a later date about the impact on the women's Euro 2022 tournament in England in July which Russia have qualified for.
The decision means that Spartak Moscow will not play their Europa League match against club RB Leipzig and so the German club will advance to the quarter-finals.
The International Olympic Committee's executive board has already recommended sports federations to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from competing in events.
With inputs from Reuters
For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News.
