UEFA will not allow U-17 teams of Russia to compete. We thank our European partners for supporting Ukraine!

10.10.2023 15:28

Photo by uefa.com

During today's meeting, the UEFA Executive Committee removed from consideration the issue of the admission of the Russian U-17 national team to its competitions. Thus, the position of our state, with which the Ukrainian Association of Football appealed to UEFA and all national associations — its members, was heard. Russian football remains isolated, that is, where it belongs.

We will remind that immediately after the UEFA Executive Committee on September 26 asked the UEFA board to propose a technical solution that would allow the restoration of the Russian U-17 teams (both girls and boys), even if the draw has already taken place. UAF quickly issued a statement, in which we condemned such an initiative and declared that she would boycott competitions in which representatives of the aggressor country would participate. Also UAF appealed to all UEFA member national associations with a request to support the boycott of Russian teams in the international arena.

"We are very concerned about the situation and in our letter we note that this is unacceptable. I am also a member of the UEFA National Teams Committee and I do not understand how it is possible to cooperate with the Russians or even be in the same room with them. At the last Congress held in Portugal, I saw the attitude of almost all participants towards the Russian delegation. There were no greetings - they were as if separated from the entire football world. On the international stage, we will prove to everyone that the presence of Russians is unacceptable. In order to make their way into the world, they use their entire arsenal. We understand that football is the game of millions, the first in the world, and it is very important for them. But I emphasize once again - our position will remain the same as we have been holding since the first days of the war. I hope everyone remembers the map of Ukraine and the logo "Glory to Ukraine!" on the national team jerseys. We will always prove ourselves right and fight for Russia to move away from football as far as possible," - UAF First Vice-President Oleksiy Mykhailychenko in a recent interview to Yedyni Novyny said.

Fortunately, the position of Ukraine and the UAF was heard. "We are grateful to all our European partners who supported our protest against the admission of Russian teams. I had the opportunity to personally convey our position to colleagues from other countries during the recent meeting of the UEFA Hat-trick Committee, which took place on October 4. It is important that the terrorist country bears full responsibility for its crimes, including in the football world. There should be no compromises in this matter. We must understand that this may not be Russia's last attempt to regain its position in the international football arena. Therefore, we are ready, if necessary, to continue to fight for the continuation of the isolation of the Russian Federation," - the UAF first vice-president Vadym Kostyuchenko emphasized.