FIFA and UEFA have suspended the Russian national team and Russian clubs from all competitions until further notice; England, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland were among the countries refusing to play Russia due to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
Prior to Monday’s announcement, several European associations said they would refuse to play against Russia, including the Polish, Swedish, and Czech federations, who are part of a four-team World Cup play-off draw with Russia.
FIFA and UEFA said in a statement on Monday evening: “Following the initial decisions adopted by the FIFA Council and the UEFA Executive Committee, which envisaged the adoption of additional measures, FIFA and UEFA have today decided together that all Russian teams, whether national representative teams or club teams, shall be suspended from participation in both FIFA and UEFA competitions until further notice”.
“These decisions were adopted today by the Bureau of the FIFA Council and the Executive Committee of UEFA, respectively the highest decision-making bodies of both institutions on such urgent matters”.
“Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine. Both presidents hope that the situation in Ukraine will improve significantly and rapidly so that football can again be a vector for unity and peace amongst people”.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Russian President V. Putin in The 2018 FIFA World Cup took place between 14 June and 15 July 2018 in Russia
