UEFA's official website has published the official decision of the union's Executive Committee on the return of some Russian teams to European competitions and its "motivational part".
Photo: scdnipro1.com.uaHere is the text in full.
"UEFA was the first sports organisation to react to the war in Ukraine and took decisive action in February 2022 by suspending all Russian teams from its tournaments, cancelling events planned in Russia such as the UEFA Champions League final in St Petersburg and the UEFA Super Cup in Kazan, and cancelling its sponsorship contract with Gazprom.
At the same time, UEFA recognises that children should not be punished for actions for which adults are solely responsible and firmly believes that football should never abandon the message of peace and hope. In particular, it is distressing that an entire generation of underage players has been denied the right to participate in international football competitions due to the ongoing conflict. The UEFA Executive Committee has therefore decided to return Russian teams consisting of underage players to participation in UEFA tournaments this season. The Executive Committee has therefore asked the UEFA administration to propose a technical solution that would allow the reinstatement of Russian U-17 teams (both girls and boys) even if the draw has already taken place. All matches of Russian teams must be played without the country's flag, anthem, national playing uniforms and not on Russian territory.
At the same time, the executive committee reiterated its condemnation of Russia's illegal war and confirmed that the suspension of all other Russian teams (clubs and national teams) will remain in force until the conflict is over.
UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin said: "The continued disqualification of adult Russian teams reflects UEFA's commitment to a stance against violence and aggression. UEFA intends to maintain this stance until the war ends and peace is restored. However, by banning children from our tournaments, we not only fail to recognise and support their fundamental right to all-round development, but also directly discriminate against them. By giving children the opportunity to play and compete with their peers from across Europe, we are investing in, we hope, brighter and more capable future generations and a better tomorrow."
