18 European countries and US decline U-15 World Cup participation over Russia's admission
Photo source: Suspilne Sport
Ukraine will not participate in the FIFA U-15 World Cup in Azerbaijan, where representatives from all 211 FIFA member associations were invited, including Russia. In total, 18 European countries and the US refused to participate in the tournament. The Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF) explained why it did not plan to send a team to the competition.
In a response to an inquiry from Champion Media, the UAF noted that the decision not to participate in the FIFA football festival was made due to sporting reasons, Rubryka writes.
The UAF explained that the tournament format does not align with the Ukrainian youth national team's preparation plans. Instead of standard football, teams will play in an 8-on-8 format, with each half lasting only 20 minutes. Additionally, organizers scheduled multiple matches within a single day.
The association emphasized that players in this age category already compete in an 11-on-11 format. Ukraine's U-15 national team regularly participates in development tournaments under UEFA auspices, as well as in other friendly matches.
Such competitions are of great importance for training young football players and selecting promising athletes for national teams.
Instead, the Ukrainian national team will play in a tournament in Türkiye. Among its opponents will be teams from Portugal, Denmark, the Netherlands, and other countries.
How European federations reacted to Russia's invitation
According to the UAF, news of the Russian national team's participation in the festival emerged only after Ukraine had already decided not to travel to Azerbaijan.
"Upon learning this, the UAF immediately emphasized, primarily to European UEFA countries, that Russia was invited to this festival. In response to our letters, some countries reported that they would not travel to these competitions, while others stated they would participate but would not play against Russia," the association stated.
The UAF thanked European football federations for their solidarity with Ukraine and for their support for a shared position on the isolation of Russian football.
"Thanks to the unity of European countries, Russia continues to be suspended from all official UEFA and FIFA competitions," the organization stressed.
The U-15 World Cup in Azerbaijan will mark the first international tournament under FIFA auspices featuring a Russian national team since the start of the full-scale invasion, when Russia was suspended from international football competitions.
Inviting the Russian team to the tournament prompted rejections from several European federations. In total, 18 UEFA representatives and the US national team declined to participate.
The list of European countries declining participation includes Ukraine, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Finland, Iceland, Armenia, the Faroe Islands, Liechtenstein, and San Marino. The US national team also refused to take part.
Background
It should be noted that in July, the International Olympic Committee restored the Russian Olympic Committee page on its official website. It became accessible for the first time since 2023, when the Russian Olympic Committee's membership in the IOC was suspended.
Thus, the IOC Executive Board decided that its recommendations regarding Russian athletes and teams provided in 2022 and 2023 no longer apply. At the same time, the IOC will continue not to organize events in Russia or invite government officials or state figures from Russia to its events.
The IOC decision drew criticism from several European countries. Estonia and eight other nations initiated a call to the European Union, demanding that it withhold funding from the IOC following the easing of sanctions against Russia. Other European countries also condemned the organization's steps and opposed Russia's full return to the international sports movement.
At the same time, following the IOC, several international federations are already altering their policies regarding Russian athletes. These steps occur against a backdrop of sharp criticism from several European states that called for a review of the organization's funding. The situation casts doubt on the future of the sanction regime that remained in place against Russia for over two years.
As Rubryka reported, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) lifted restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes' participation in its competitions. Simultaneously, the organization is considering allowing the national teams of Russia and Belarus to return to international tournaments.
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