Russia Welcomes Infantinos Comments on Lifting Ban on Ukraine

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has suggested that the ban on Russia’s participation in global football competitions should be lifted. In an interview with Britain’s Sky News, Infantino stated that the ban had “not achieved anything” and argued that it had created more frustration and hatred.

The Kremlin has welcomed Infantino’s comments, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying that the ban had been in place for too long and that Russia’s footballers should have their rights fully restored. Peskov expressed hope that discussions would take place at FIFA to reinstate Russia’s participation.

However, Ukraine has denounced Infantino’s words as “irresponsible” and “infantile”. The country’s Sports Minister Matvii Bidnyi called the ban a necessary measure, citing the thousands of Ukrainian athletes and coaches killed during Russia’s full-scale invasion. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha added that lifting the ban would be a betrayal of those who lost their lives.

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has the authority to reinstate Russia’s participation, but UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has maintained that the war in Ukraine needs to end before this can happen. In 2023, UEFA briefly considered allowing Russia to compete in an Under-17 continental championship qualifying match, but ultimately upheld the ban after receiving threats from national federations.

Russia has been largely banned from international sport since its invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. The country has hosted and participated in several high-profile tournaments, including the 2018 World Cup.

Source: Al Jazeera