RT.com
21 Nov 2023, 17:43 GMT+10
Sanctioned Russian football is looking East and weighing its options as next year's season approaches
The Russian Football Union (RFU) is to make a decision on a possible switch from the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) by the end of December, according to the union's president, Aleksandr Dyukov.
The RFU is considering the move since they have been unable to participate in major tournaments since February 2022, after FIFA and UEFA indefinitely suspended Russian teams, citing Moscow's military operation in Ukraine. Speaking to the press on Monday, Dyukov commented that "talks with UEFA continue. We have the option, which we will discuss in the first half of December at the executive committee, where we'll consider a possible transfer to Asia."
Dyukov first aired the idea of moving to the Asian Football Confederation in November 2022, in response to the political sanctions on Russia's teams.
The next month, the RFU created a task group to work with the other associations on getting back into official tournaments, and the switch to the East was put on hold.
"Officially, we can change confederations on our own," Dyukov said to media in September, but went on to say that the unofficial go-ahead from UEFA, in practice, was required.
"Is there a point to switching, if we won't be allowed to the World Cup qualifying matches? This is what demands consideration. To take part in the World Cup qualifiers, we need confirmation and agreement from FIFA, and we don't have that yet."
In October 2023, UEFA briefly considered lifting the suspension on Russian under-17 teams, arguing that "children should not be punished for actions whose responsibility lies exclusively with adults," but soon afterward U-turned on the decision. A number of football federations - including those of England, Latvia, and Lithuania, stated at the time that their teams will not play against Russians even if the ban was lifted.
The Russian national team, meanwhile, has played eight friendly matches this year, including against Iran and Iraq, twice against Egypt, and once each versus Qatar, Cameroon, Kenya and most recently Cuba on Monday, winning 8-0.
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Ohio Standard news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Ohio Standard.
More InformationWASHINGTON, D.C.: Filmmaker Peter Jackson's lifelong fascination with the extinct giant New Zealand flightless bird called the moa...
DUBAI, U.A.E.: A cargo ship flagged under Liberia, known as the Eternity C, sank in the Red Sea following an attack executed by Yemen's...
NEW DELHI, India: India has submitted a revised proposal to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva to implement retaliatory tariffs...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Trump administration has started sending some weapons to Ukraine again, just a week after the Pentagon told officials...
SAN FRANCISCO, California: Nvidia, the Silicon Valley chipmaker at the heart of the artificial intelligence boom, this week briefly...
REDMOND, Washington: Artificial intelligence is transforming Microsoft's bottom line. The company saved over US$500 million last year...
DUBAI, U.A.E.: A cargo ship flagged under Liberia, known as the Eternity C, sank in the Red Sea following an attack executed by Yemen's...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Trump administration has started sending some weapons to Ukraine again, just a week after the Pentagon told officials...
ECAULT BEACH, France: On clear days, the white cliffs of the United Kingdom, are visible from northern France, where men, women, and...
ATLANTA, Georgia: The United States is facing its worst measles outbreak in more than three decades, with 1,288 confirmed cases so...
In the past month alone, 23 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza—three more than the number of remaining living hostages held...
LONDON, U.K.: At least 13 people are believed to have taken their own lives as a result of the U.K.'s Post Office scandal, in which...