The Russian Football Union wrote a letter to UEFA demanding that the head coach of the Ukrainian national team Oleksandr Petrakov be disqualified. This is reported by The Guardian.
Alexander Petrakov. Photo: gettyimages.comAccording to the publication, the Russian side accuses the specialist of discriminatory statements about Russians and non-compliance with political neutrality. As proof, RFU Deputy General Secretary Denis Rogachev cited Petrakov's quotes about the war, published in two publications - the Italian Corriere dello Sport and the Russian Sport-Express.
In a letter to the UEFA Control, Ethics and Discipline Committee, Petrakov is accused of violating the code of conduct. In these quotes, he spoke of his intention to join the defenders of Ukraine, and also called for the exclusion of all Russians from international sports competitions. The RFU claims that Petrakov's comments violate the FIFA and UEFA codes, which prohibit "discrimination against any country" and speak of the desire to popularize football "in the spirit of the world."
The RFU also claims that Petrakov actually made a “call for violence”, and his comments are “ethnic discriminatory, since Alexander Petrakov calls for the suspension of all Russian athletes and this sanction to be applied to all citizens of the Russian Federation without any legal grounds.”
Recall that earlier all Russian clubs and teams were suspended from international competitions.
