At a recent meeting with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, held in Brussels during the UEFA congress, the legend of Ukrainian football Andriy Shevchenko expressed his opinion on the necessity of continuing the ban on Russian teams from international tournaments.
Shevchenko noted that the ongoing war makes Russia's return to the world of football "inappropriate." He emphasized that Ukraine's position on this issue has remained unchanged since 2022.
Earlier, Infantino had expressed the opinion that the sanctions could be reconsidered and even suggested the return of Russian youth teams, claiming that sports isolation only increases tension. These comments triggered a negative reaction from Ukrainian officials, who believe that sports cannot be separated from current events.
It should be noted that since February 2022, Russian national teams and clubs have been deprived of the opportunity to participate in tournaments under the auspices of FIFA and UEFA. Although options for their return are being discussed, in practice, this is unlikely, as many national federations continue to refuse matches with Russian teams.
FIFA characterized the meeting as "constructive," but a final decision regarding future sanctions has not yet been made.
