Lovchev called sanctions from FIFA and UEFA the main disappointment of 2023
Spartak veteran Evgeny Lovchev spoke on his Telegram channel about disappointments in world football in 2023.
Lovchev called the main disappointment of the year the sanctions from the International Football Federation (FIFA) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), which, in his opinion, showed the lack of independence of the organizations. He noted that their decisions demonstrated the influence of politics on sports.
“The suspension of Russia and the non-suspension of Israel, the situation with the seemingly admission of our young men, but in reality – a trick with denial of admission. This is all disgusting. This destroys the international structure that exists and undermines its authority,” the expert concluded.
On September 26, 2023, the UEFA Executive Committee proposed allowing Russian national teams among players under 17 years of age to participate in international tournaments in a neutral status. After this, a number of countries, including Ukraine, announced their intention to boycott matches with Russian teams. On October 10, it became known that the decision of the UEFA executive committee on the admission of Russians had been canceled.
On February 28, 2022, FIFA and UEFA excluded Russian national teams and clubs from international tournaments. Teams do not compete in European competitions, and the national team has lost the opportunity to compete for access to the final part of the 2022 World Cup and does not participate in the Euro 2024 qualifications.
Source: Lenta
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