MOSCOW, May 22. Head coach of the Ukrainian national football team Alexander Petrakov in an interview newspaper Corriere dello Sport stated that it is necessary to remove Russian athletes from all competitions for at least 5 years. At the end of February, the International Olympic Committee recommended that international sports federations not allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in international competitions due to the situation around Russia and Ukraine. A number of international federations excluded Russians and Belarusians from competitions under their auspices, and also canceled competitions in Russia. Other federations allowed athletes from the two countries to compete in a neutral status. «I believe that Russians should be suspended from all sports competitions for at least 5 years. At least,» Petrakov said. Earlier, the UEFA executive committee decided not to allow Russian football clubs to European cups in the 2022/23 season, and the Russian national team before playing in the League of Nations. The Russian youth team has been suspended from participation in the European Championship. The women's national team will not play in the finals of Euro 2022 and qualifying for the 2023 World Cup. Russia's bid to host the European Championships in 2028 or 2032 has been rejected.
