PARIS: Russia has been expelled from the World Cup after being suspended from all international competitions “until further notice,” FIFA and UEFA announced in a joint statement on Monday, while European football’s governing body also ended its partnership with Russian energy giant Gazprom.
The men’s team had been due to play in qualifying play-offs in March for the World Cup in Qatar later this year, while its women’s side had qualified for the European Championship in England, to be held in July.
The announcement also affects Russian clubs involved in European competitions.
“FIFA and UEFA have today decided together that all Russian teams, whether national representative teams or club teams, shall be suspended from participation in both FIFA and UEFA competitions until further notice,” read the joint statement from the governing bodies of world and European football.
The Russian men’s team were scheduled to play Poland in a World Cup qualifying play-off semifinal on March 24, and might have faced Sweden or the Czech Republic on March 29 for a place at the finals in Qatar later this year.
But their three potential opponents insisted they would boycott the matches.
FIFA announced on Sunday that Russian teams would be allowed to continue playing under the name of the Football Union of Russia, playing home games on neutral territory and behind closed doors, and with the Russian flag and anthem banned.
But those measures were dismissed as “totally unacceptable” by Polish FA president Cezary Kulesza, who added that Poland would not play their World Cup play-off with Russia, “no matter what the name of the team is.”
FIFA changed its approach on Monday, kicking Russia out of the sport’s showpiece tournament.
“Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine,” the statement added.
“Both presidents (Gianni Infantino and Aleksander Ceferin) hope that the situation in Ukraine will improve significantly and rapidly so that football can again be a vector for unity and peace among people.”
The Russian Football Union denounced the suspension, saying the move was “discriminatory.”
“It has an obvious discriminatory character and harms a huge number of athletes, coaches, employees of clubs and national teams, and most importantly, millions of Russian and foreign fans, whose interests international sports organizations must protect in the first place,” it said in a statement.
The decisions come after a widespread outcry, with global players’ union FIFPro on Monday releasing a statement saying it “strongly disagreed” with the initial measures taken by FIFA.
FIFPro criticized FIFA for not imposing stronger sanctions right away and said that participation of Russian teams in international competitions was now “not a possibility.”
With other nations also coming out to say they would not play against Russia, FIFA and UEFA were left with little choice.
FIFA had to act quickly before the upcoming World Cup play-offs and with the draw for the tournament due to be held in Doha on April 1.
Russia were supposed to play the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland in their group at the women’s Euro in England in July.
“This is a powerful message from the international sporting community that we will not tolerate Putin’s abhorrent assaults on freedom and liberty. Well done FIFA and UEFA,” tweeted UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Meanwhile Spartak Moscow were scheduled to play RB Leipzig of Germany in the last 16 of the Europa League.
They were the only remaining Russian team in European competition this season.
“Even though we are of the opinion that sport fundamentally unites, we understand and support this decision,” said Leipzig, who, UEFA told AFP, have received a bye into the quarter-finals.
FIFA, though, did not confirm if Poland would qualify directly for the final of their World Cup play-off path.
UEFA said it had ended its partnership with Gazprom, one of its main sponsors, “effective immediately.”
Gazprom has been a key sponsor of UEFA since 2012 and was believed to have been paying around 40 million euros ($45 million) a year in a deal due to run until 2024.
Russian football federation president Alexander Dyukov, boss of Gazprom Neft, the petrol branch of Gazprom, is a member of the UEFA’s executive committee.
German club Schalke 04 also announced Monday it had prematurely ended its shirt sponsorship deal with Gazprom.
UEFA last week stripped the Russian city of Saint Petersburg of this season’s Champions League final, moving the game on May 28 to Paris.
Russia expelled from World Cup as FIFA and UEFA hand down bans
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Russia expelled from World Cup as FIFA and UEFA hand down bans
- The men’s team had been due to play in qualifying play-offs in March for the World Cup in Qatar later this year
Man United’s Jim Ratcliffe reminded of his responsibilities but no FA charge for ‘colonized’ claim
- Football Association will not be charging Ratcliffe over his comments
- Ratcliffe’s comments touched a nerve in Britain, where immigration is a divisive issue
MANCHESTER: Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe has been reminded of his “responsibilities as a participant in English football” after he triggered a storm of criticism for claiming Britain had been “colonized” by immigrants.
But England’s Football Association will not be charging Ratcliffe over his comments, which were widely condemned by political figures, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and the club’s supporters.
The governing body issued Ratcliffe with a reminder of his responsibilities when taking part in media interviews, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Friday. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
British billionaire Ratcliffe, who owns petrochemicals giant INEOS, made the comments during an interview with Sky News, which aired last week.
“You can’t have an economy with 9 million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in,” he said. “I mean, the UK’s been colonized.”
Ratcliffe’s comments touched a nerve in Britain, where immigration is a divisive issue. He later said he was sorry his choice of language had “offended some people.”
Starmer had earlier called for him to apologize, saying “Britain is a proud, tolerant and diverse country.”
United fans, who are proud of the diversity within the team and their supporter base, also condemned his words.
The Manchester United Supporters Trust said the “senior leadership should make inclusion easier, not harder.”
Critics accused Ratcliffe of “hypocrisy,” saying he has chosen to make his home in Monaco to reduce his UK tax bill.
Carrick proud of Man United’s culture
United’s head coach, Michael Carrick, said earlier Friday that the Premier League club was proud of their culture of equality and diversity.
Carrick, who was recently hired as coach until the end of the season, faced the media for the first time since Ratcliffe’s remarks and he was asked for his response.
“Sir Jim has made a statement, and then the club’s made a statement on the back of it so for me to add to that is not my place,” he said. “What I can say is, as I’ve been around this club many, many years, we always make a huge impact globally.
“We’re really proud of the environment and the culture that we’ve got at the club, and equality and diversity and respect for each other is something that we look to carry through every day.”
