Deputy Svishchev called Nilsson’s departure from the Swedish Confederation surprising
Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Physical Culture and Sports Dmitry Svishchev appreciated the fact that the first vice-president of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), Karl-Erik Nilsson, who supported the admission of Russian youth teams to tournaments, left his post as head of the Swedish National Sports Confederation (RF). His words are quoted by RT.
The MP called the decision surprising, since Nilsson was a good specialist in the UEFA structure with his own point of view, who could promote their own interests. “But, as we see, the vaunted European freedom of speech and opinion turns into total hate and intimidation on social networks,” he said.
Nilsson resigned on October 6. He has served as head of the organization since May 2023. On October 3, the functionary expressed regret that his position on the admission of Russians was perceived as a refusal to defend Sweden’s position.
On September 26, the UEFA Executive Committee proposed allowing Russian national teams among players under 17 years of age to participate in international tournaments. The organization noted that the proposal includes admission in a neutral status, that is, athletes can receive the right to compete without the flag and anthem. Later, England, Poland, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, Norway, Romania and Ukraine announced that their junior teams would refuse matches with Russian teams.
Source: Lenta
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