According to UEFA’s decision on Tuesday, Russia’s underage national teams can return to EC-level tournaments.
On Tuesday, the European football confederation Uefa published a decision by which the national teams of Russian minors are again allowed to participate in the international competitions of the sports association, without the country’s symbols.
Regarding UEFA competitions in the decision Russian under-17 national teams are therefore allowed to return to EC-level competitions.
Russian national teams and club teams have been locked out of European football competitions since February 2022 after the country invaded Ukraine.
British Sky Sports reportsthat one of those who supported the decision was the Swedish vice-president of the union Karl-Erik Nilsson.
UEFA’s vice-presidents had previously voted internally at a special meeting of the executive committee (total of 20 members) that decides the union on Russia’s return.
According to Sky Sports, three of the five vice-presidents of the federation voted against the inclusion of Russia. According to Sky Sports, the British David Gill and Laura McAllister and Polish Zbigniew Boniek opposed the decision.
Instead, the Swedish Nilsson and the Italian Gabriele Gravina is said to have advocated the return of the Russians.
The Swedish federation is against the return of the Russians, Nilsson is not
Nilsson’s voting decision has caused astonishment, especially in the western neighbor. The Swedish Football Association is on completely different lines with Nilsson.
Sweden will organize the European Championships for girls under 17 in May next year. Sweden has firmly banned Russians from competing in the Games. Nilsson therefore voted completely against the line of his own sports association.
Uefa has not confirmed to Sky Sports the information it obtained, citing the privacy of the discussions.
UEFA’s decision was signed by the federation’s president, a Slovak by Aleksander Čefer. In his decision, Čeferin pleaded that UEFA should not punish children for the decisions of adults – at the same time mentioning that he is against Russia’s war in Ukraine.
What makes Čeferin’s claim problematic is that many Russian players under the age of 17 play in the academies of big clubs owned by oligarchs. This ultimately benefits the adults.