Former Dynamo Kyiv and USSR national team defender Oleg Kuznetsov, who now coaches the Ukrainian youth national team, commented on the scandalous admission of Russian teams to international competitions.
- Of course, we are all outraged by this decision of UEFA. Not only does it offend our feelings, it can turn youth football competitions into a nightmare. Judge for yourself. At the end of the year, there will be a draw for the U-17 qualifying rounds. And if Russia gets into the group, where will the national teams of the countries that have declared a boycott be? What happens then? For example, there will be two or three such teams in the group with the Russians. Then what, the Russians will be credited with a technical victory, and they will move on? It's absurd! Some will play, others won't, what will it lead to?
There are still two months to go before the draw, and there may be a significant increase in those who refuse to play with the Russians. What then? This is a really incomprehensible decision: the adult teams of the aggressor country are disqualified, but the youth teams are not. Although the youth team is being taken to the competition by adult coaches, selectors and officials. So, along with the youngsters, the adults responsible for what is happening in Ukraine will return to football," Kuznetsov said.