UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin spoke about the situation with the removal of Russian teams from international competitions for the 2022/2023 season.“When UEFA moved the Champions League final from St. Petersburg to Paris, safety was paramount. In such a situation, football is a winner. When UEFA rejected its traditions and left its comfort zone, abandoning the principles of the neutrality of sport, football did not benefit from this.
When UEFA applies sanctions, it tries to do its small part to ensure peace on the continent. This is a dangerous precedent, but in this case, the cause is more important than anything else. Without a doubt, football has become one of the losers when players, coaches and fans cannot do anything about their passion and their dreams, it breaks my heart.
Recall that on May 2, UEFA decided to remove Russian clubs and national teams from the 2022/2023 international season. Russian teams next season will not be able to take part in European competitions, the UEFA Nations League, the U21 European Championship, Women's Euro 2022, as well as in the qualification of the Women's World Cup 2023.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin reiterates opposition to World Cup every two years