FIFA and UEFA have banned Russian teams from the club and international competitions, denying them entry to the 2022 World Cup and Women’s Euro 2022.
Consequently, Spartak Moscow will no longer be a final 16 participant in the Europa League, where they were due to face RB Leipzig.
UEFA has also ended its relationship with Gazprom, the Russian state-owned energy giant, a major sponsor of the Champions League.
A joint statement from FIFA and UEFA read:
“Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
“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 amongst people.”
Following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine last week, the sporting world has called for sanctions against Russia.
Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic – Russia’s World Cup play-off opponents – all announced to boycott their fixtures.
Russian Football Union put forward a team playing under a different name and flag in a neutral location.
But There was wide criticism of this FIFA decision, which asked for more than “the lightest of sanctions.”
And said Russia’s continued involvement in international competition was “not a possibility”.
That was a view shared on Monday by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Russian and Belarusian athletes should be not playing at any sporting events.
As they have to “protect the integrity of global sports competitions”.
FIFA subsequently changed its stance in a joint-announcement with UEFA, ruling Russia.
Hosts of the 2018 World Cup, including this year’s two showpiece events in Qatar and England.
Russia will face Poland and then either Sweden or the Czech Republic in World Cup qualifying.
They had already reached the Women’s Euros, drawn into Sweden and Switzerland.
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