Connect with us
Advertisement

Sports

UEFA Bans Russian Clubs From Next Season’s Champions League

Published

on

UEFA Champions League
Advertisement

Russian football clubs (men and women) have been ruled out from participating in international and club competitions.

The ban was announced on Monday, May 2 by the European football governing body, UEFA.

Naija News understands that the development means the country’s football clubs would not be participating in the Champions League and all other European competitions next season.

The sanction is coming in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in recent months.

Advertisement

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government has received numerous sanctions lately for unleashing terror attacks on Ukraine.

The continuous war between the European countries has recorded hundreds of casualties already and UEFA as a concerned body has decided to punish Russia for pulling the trigger first, Naija News reports.

“Russia will have no affiliated clubs participating in UEFA club competitions in the 2022/23 season,” the football governing body said in a statement on Monday.

Advertisement

Naija News recalls that Russian clubs and national teams were first sanctioned by UEFA in February.

The Russian team’s exclusion from the Women’s European Championship to take place in England in July was also confirmed Monday.

Portugal, who had lost to Russia in a qualifying play-off, will take their place in Group C alongside 2019 World Cup runners-up Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Even more, UEFA declared Russia’s bid to host either the 2028 or 2032 European Championship not eligible.

Russia’s national team had already been kicked out of the qualifying competition for this year’s World Cup in Qatar by FIFA just before a crucial play-off tie against Poland in March.

The country’s football federation initially appealed that decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport only to drop its legal challenge last month.

As it stands, Russia will also play no further part in the qualifying campaign for the 2023 Women’s World Cup with all its results up to now considered null and void.

Russia had been in second place in their section behind Denmark.

Similarly, the men’s team will not participate in the Nations League due to starting in June as had been planned, meaning they will automatically be placed bottom of their group.

UEFA’s sweeping announcement also confirmed Russia’s exclusion from qualifying for the next Under-21 European Championship.