“Elevated” football figures are reportedly willing to reinstate the country to competitions “tomorrow,” according to the outlet
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) is reportedly taking steps to lift a ban on Russian participation in international competition, The Independent reported on Thursday, citing a senior source in the organization.
A number of major international sports organizations, including UEFA and its global counterpart FIFA, banned Russian teams from participating in tournaments following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022.
According to The Independent, however, the issue of lifting the UEFA ban could come up during the organization’s congress scheduled for the Serbian capital Belgrade next week.
“Moves are currently happening to get Russia back into football,” the British outlet quoted one senior UEFA source as saying, adding that there are “elevated football figures who would ‘have them back tomorrow.’” Other figures within UEFA have reportedly insisted that the ban shouldn’t have been imposed in the first place.
According to The Independent, senior UEFA officials are already setting out a roadmap for Russia’s return, which would appear especially likely once a ceasefire is established in the Ukraine conflict.
A source further claimed that “Zurich-based politics” means that the International Olympic Committee would be the first to “normalize” Russia once a truce between Moscow and Kiev is agreed, followed by the International Hockey Federation and football organizations.
Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, agreed during a phone call that they aim to normalize relations between the two countries and continue discussions on global security, economic, and cultural cooperation.
Following the talks, the Kremlin reported that both leaders had expressed support for organizing hockey matches between the US and Russia involving players from the National Hockey League (NHL) and Russia’s Continental Hockey League (KHL). The idea has since been approved by the Russian Olympic Committee and the Russian Ministry of Sport.
