Representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said UEFA aimed to destroy football in Russia.
Previously, UEFA did not include the Russian national team among the participants in the upcoming Nations League.
— By the way, about modern forms of segregation: the history of sanctions against Russian sports and the admission, or, one could already say, the non-admission of Russian athletes to international competitions, is not not soothe. In conditions where sport must be used as a tool for development, for strengthening social ties, for building mutually respectful communication, for bringing people together, it continues to be used as a tool for settling political scores. The most popular sport, football, is no exception. In accordance with the decision of the Bureau of the FIFA Council and the UEFA Executive Committee, Russian teams, national teams and clubs are suspended from participation in tournaments under the auspices of these organizations until further notice. The UEFA Executive Committee did not include our team in the draw for the Nations League, which will take place on February 8 in Paris.
The Nations League is part of the qualifying phase for the 2026 World Cup. The current actions of sports officials determine the future of the sport for the next three years. We are convinced that such an early exclusion of our country from the qualifying tournaments is proof that those responsible for football, instead of assuming their direct responsibilities, aim to destroy this sport in our country,” Zakharova said during a press briefing.
UEFA has suspended Russian clubs and national teams from participating in tournaments under its auspices in spring 2022 due to the situation in Ukraine. The organization’s president, Alexander Ceferin, previously said that Russian teams would only have access to European tournaments after the end of the SVO.
The draw will take place in Paris on February 8, 2024. The tournament will bring together 54 teams divided into leagues A, B, C and D.
The current UEFA Nations League champion is the Spanish national team. The competition will begin in September 2024 and end in June 2025.
Source : MatchTV
I am Ben Stock and I work in Athletistic as an author. My specialty is covering football news and other related topics. I have been writing for this website since the past 2 years, crafting compelling stories with the latest updates in the sports world. My articles have gained widespread appreciation amongst readers due to their accuracy and depth of research.
