Unexpected news came from the conference of the Russian Football Union (RFU ). Representatives of UEFA and FIFA issued a message in which they talked about the possible return of clubs and teams to world football. It seems that in the West we are jealous of Asia. Or just bored.
Was Russia dissuaded from Asia? The International Football Federation (FIFA) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) issued a joint statement back in February 2022, as a result of which they suspended us from participating in international tournaments. We have already missed the full European Cup season, the World Cup in Qatar and for sure we will not go to Euro 2024, because the qualifying tournament has already started.
There was a lot of talk about the possible transition of our football to Asia. At some point, it even seemed that this would inevitably happen. Movement in Europe was not seen, and contacts with Asian federations were going on. The leaders of the RFU came to the East, who did not do it for the purpose of tourism. The Russian team played with Iran, Iraq, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan. No one even stuttered about friendly matches with European teams in the current conditions.
The transition to Asia has not yet taken place, and the talk has subsided. It is curious that UEFA and FIFA did not react in any way to the licensing of Crimean clubs, which now have the opportunity to play in the Russian football system. But earlier it was impossible. UEFA clearly made it clear that if the Crimeans were allowed, then we could forget about European competitions.
What they said in UEFA and FIFA Now, apparently, they have come to terms with this. For what reason is another question. But the trend is symptomatic. And now, not the last people from UEFA and FIFA suddenly spoke at the RFU conference. They started talking about the hope for a speedy return of Russian clubs and the national team. First, UEFA adviser on national associations Josef Kliment spoke.
“If we stay together, we will win. Now we are facing a tough challenge, but we believe that we will overcome all obstacles, that soon we will be able to meet not only at the level of functionaries, but also at the level of players in European cup matches and European tournaments for national We believe that Russian clubs and national teams will soon be able to meet with rivals on the fields in the spirit of a fair fight.We have not interrupted our cooperation, we fulfill all our obligations, including financial support and participation in various projects.We want to build bridges between countries and not destroy them,» said Clement.
The UEFA representative noted several important points at once. The first is a clear message about a «soon return». The second is «if we stay together, we will win.» This is a hint that there is no need to move to Asia, because Europe needs Russia in many ways. The third is to maintain cooperation and financial support. It is clear that such statements are not spontaneous and were certainly agreed with the highest leadership. FIFA spokesman Heidi Beha also spoke positively.
«»Let me give Gianni Infantino a warm welcome. Thank you for your cooperation. The past year has been very difficult, we hope that the situation will be resolved soon and a solution will be found.» , — Beha said at the executive committee of the RFU.
When people are in conflict, they do not convey «heartfelt greetings.» It is clear that at this level there is a large share of diplomacy, even hypocrisy. However, you need to read between the lines and understand the signals. Greetings from Infantino suggest that the situation may change faster than we think.