The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) first met halfway Russia, however, two weeks later he changed his mind. Today, the decision to admit Russian youth national teams of players under 17 years of age to international tournaments has been cancelled. At a meeting in Nyon, Switzerland, the UEFA executive committee came to the conclusion that “a technical solution that would allow Russian teams to play could not be found.”
““I didn’t expect that they would be allowed, I didn’t expect that they would cancel. What was canceled was a big surprise «.
Valery KarpinHead coach of the Russian national football team
And if the admission of young football players was indeed unexpected, then on the second point Valery Georgievich and I will not agree: the “change of shoes” of football officials did not surprise us at all. What UEFA did in 2022, when it kicked Karpin’s team out of the play-off mini-tournament for the right to go to the World Cup in Qatar, the union (under pressure) did a year and a half later.
Recall that Russian football was “banned” back in February 2022 after the start of the well-known events in Ukraine. Then the International Football Federation (FIFA) and UEFA suspended Russian national teams and clubs from participation in international competitions for an indefinite period.
However, on September 26, 2023, hope dawned. It was on this day that the UEFA Executive Committee allowed Russian teams consisting of players no older than 17 years old to participate in international tournaments. Of course, our women's and men's teams were not allowed to play games with the flag, anthem and on home territory, but the “thaw” seemed to have arrived.
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“By prohibiting children from participating in our competitions, we not only fail to recognize and support the fundamental right to their holistic development, but we also directly discriminate against them. By providing the opportunity to play and compete with their peers from all over Europe, we are investing in what we hope is a brighter and more capable future generation,” said the organization’s president, Aleksander Čeferin, commenting on UEFA’s decision.
But if only everything were so simple.
Europe, as expected, was outraged by UEFA's statement on Russian youth. The “discrimination against children” that Čeferin trumpeted turned out to be an empty phrase for many countries that publicly refused to play with domestic football players, simply issuing an ultimatum. Who are we talking about?
- Ukraine, Poland, England, Sweden, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway.
And the enlightened West was also infuriated by UEFA Vice President Karl-Erik Nilsson, who, despite the anti-Russian position of the Swedish Football Association (SvFF), voted for the return of the Russians. But then the flywheel of “democracy” and “freedom of speech” began to grind the old man who chose sports over politics, and he had to apologize.
It’s just that Nilsson will not wash himself off from such “shame” any time soon — he had to leave the post of chairman of the Swedish National Sports Confederation and Sports Coaches (SISU) with bitterness.
It turns out that it is becoming increasingly easier to push through your decision on the international sports arena. This is the second time the boycott language has brought UEFA to its senses, which again suffers serious reputational damage. But these are the new realities: having united, children throw the “ugly duckling” out of the sandbox, and adults only indulge this.
In the future, we will see a similar “scheme” more than once outside of football — do not forget that the decision on the participation of Russians in the Paris Olympics 2024 has not yet been made.
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"This came as a complete surprise. Only in the morning I explained that canceling the decision on admission is impossible, because UEFA is a serious organization. Every decision they make is thoughtful and based on real, practical factors. This has never happened in my entire life. There is only one conclusion: the UEFA executive committee must be dissolved. This decision was influenced by pressure from other countries. After all, the decision on admission was not made by Čeferin, it was a collegial decision. I can’t understand how it can be canceled after two weeks. UEFA has signed its insolvency.»
Vyacheslav KoloskovHonorary President of the Russian Football Union (RFU)
The author's opinion may not coincide with the editorial position.