FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed concern over the sports ban on Russian athletes and national team organizations on Monday, voicing support for a possible lifting of regulations that have been in place since February 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Infantino remarked during an interview with British sports broadcaster Sky News that the ban has “achieved nothing,” adding that it “has only just created more frustration and hatred.” Infantino said that in the meantime, sports competition should be opened to the world’s youth, stating:
“Allowing boys and girls from Russia to play football in other parts of Europe could help,” he said. “It's something we have to do, definitely, at least in the youth categories.”
Infantino, who worked alongside Putin to bring the FIFA World Cup to Russia in 2018, later expelled Russian competitors from all FIFA competitions after the international community protested the Russian incursion into Eastern Ukraine.
The Russian national team has since sat out the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and UEFA’s Euro 2024.
Russia will also not participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America this summer.
In a response to Infantino’s comments, Ukraine’s sports minister, Matvii Bidnyi, wrote in a post on social media: “Gianni Infantino's words sound irresponsible - not to say infantile.” Bidnyi also wrote:
“Let me remind you that since the start of Russia's full-scale aggression, more than 650 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have been killed by Russians. Among them were more than one hundred footballers.”
Bidnyi also added, “War is a crime, not politics,” he said. “It is Russia that politicizes sport and uses it to justify aggression.” Bidnyi shared the sentiments of the Ukrainian football association, saying, “I share the position of the Ukrainian Association of Football, which also warns against Russia's return to international competitions,” adding:
“As long as Russians continue killing Ukrainians and politicizing sport, their flag and national symbols have no place among people who respect values such as justice, integrity, and fair play.”
