It's official. UAF asks UEFA and FIFA to punish Russian Federation for inclusion of Crimean clubs in Russian championship

The Ukrainian Football Association has sent an official letter to UEFA and FIFA asking them to respond to the illegal inclusion of clubs from Ukrainian Crimea, FC Sevastopol and FC Rubin Yalta, in the Russian championship.

The letter, in particular, states: "We have already addressed FIFA and UEFA several times regarding the attempts of the Russian football authorities to include Ukrainian clubs in the Russian domestic championships. We appeal to you again on this issue with a request to consider and take measures to eliminate another violation by Russia of all existing rules and regulations."

The UAF reminds that in its official letter No. 1423 dated 01.11.2022 to UEFA and FIFA, it has already reported on the latest illegal actions of the Russian terrorist state and the Russian Federation against the Ukrainian state and football, in particular attempts to integrate football clubs from the temporarily occupied regions of Ukraine into the regular national championships of Russia.

"In our official letters No. 635 dated 01.07.2023 and No. 741 dated 22.06.2023, we drew your attention to information from open sources that FC Sevastopol and FC Rubin Yalta from the temporarily occupied Crimea received certificates to participate in the second league of Russia (third national division). Allowing such an action actually demonstrates disregard for the position and previous decisions of FIFA and UEFA (in 2014, UEFA granted Crimea a special status).

Despite numerous appeals by the UAF to FIFA and UEFA on this issue, on 16.07.2023, FC Sevastopol and FC Rubin Yalta played their first matches in the second Russian division. We regard such actions as a gross violation of the FIFA and UEFA statutes and the UEFA decision on the special status of Crimean football. In light of the above, the UAF reiterates its request to FIFA and UEFA to consider expelling the Russian Federation from FIFA and UEFA membership due to proven non-compliance with the requirements of the statutes of the governing bodies of the world and Europe and the values of the world football family," the UAF letter to UEFA and FIFA reads.