UEFA bans Russian teams under 17 from international competitions
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) reviewed its decision and decided not to allow the Russian team in the age category under 17 years to participate in the qualifying games of the European Championship.
The Associated Press writes about this with reference to the statement of the governing body of UEFA.
After another executive committee meeting, UEFA explained that the youth teams from the Russian Federation would not be able to return, as it was impossible to find a "technical solution" that would allow them to play.
Earlier, the Association decided to restore the participation of the Russian team in the age category under 17 because it believes that children should not be punished for actions "for which the responsibility lies only with adults."
"UEFA's continued suspension of adult Russian teams reflects a commitment to confronting violence and aggression. UEFA is determined to maintain this position until the war ends and peace is restored. But by banning children from our competitions, we fail to recognize and support a fundamental right to their holistic development and directly discriminate against them," said UEFA President Alexander Ceferin.
He is also convinced that football "should never give up messages of peace and hope."
It should be noted that on February 28, 2022, the UEFA Executive Committee decided that all Russian teams, whether national or club, will be suspended from participating in UEFA competitions until further notice.
For reference:
Reaction to the intention to return teams from the Russian Federation
The Ukrainian Football Association strongly condemned this decision by UEFA and called for its review. The UAF called the decision to admit Russians to the competition "groundless and one that tolerates Russia's aggressive policy."
"UAF confirms that it will not participate in any competitions with the participation of Russian teams and appeals to other UEFA member associations with a request to boycott possible matches with the participation of teams from the Russian Federation, on the condition of their admission," the statement reads.
Several other countries announced they would boycott the competition if the Russian junior national team was there. Great Britain, Poland, Latvia, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Romania, Lithuania, and Norway were among them.
As previously reported, the Ukrainian Football Association appealed to UEFA and FIFA to ban Russian clubs from playing friendly matches with foreign teams.
