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International football banned in latest round of Russian sporting sanctions

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27th February, 2022
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World football’s governing body FIFA has decided no international competition shall be played in Russia, with home matches being played on neutral territory and without spectators.

The FIFA statement on Sunday, following international condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, also said Russia would have to compete in international football under the name “Football Union of Russia (RFU)”.

No flag or anthem of Russia will be used in matches where teams from the Football Union of Russia participate, FIFA added.

There have been calls for Russia’s men’s team to be barred from the World Cup in Qatar in November and December. 

Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic have all refused to play Russia in World Cup play-offs.

But FIFA have backed away from immediately expelling Russia from World Cup qualifying while saying it remained an option.

French Football Federation president Noel Le Graet had earlier become the first significant figure in the sport to say Russia should be thrown out of the men’s World Cup following the invasion of Ukraine.

“That is my first impulse,” Le Graet told Le Parisien newspaper on Sunday when asked if Russia should be banned from the tournament.

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“The world of sport, and football in particular, cannot remain neutral. I will certainly not object to Russia’s exclusion.”

Le Graet, 80, is on the governing FIFA Council who voted for Russia to host the last men’s World Cup in 2018.

Russia is becoming increasingly isolated in the sporting world and European football’s ruling body UEFA has already said matches cannot be played in Russia or Ukraine. 

The Football Association also announced on Sunday that England will not play Russia in any international fixture anywhere and at any level “for the foreseeable future”.

Volleyball is one of the few sports still considering a major event in Russia with the men’s world championships scheduled for August but this is under review with some nations saying they will not travel to Russia to take part.

The world judo governing body (IJU) meanwhile has taken personal action against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“In light of the ongoing war conflict in Ukraine, the International Judo Federation announces the suspension of Mr. Vladimir Putin’s status as Honorary President and Ambassador of the International Judo Federation,” it said in a statement.

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Putin is a keen judo player and has reached the level of black belt in the sport.

In Putin’s other favourite sport, ice hockey, Latvian club Dinamo Riga withdrew Sunday from the Russian-owned and run Kontinental Hockey League citing the “military and humanitarian crisis.”

Elsewhere, swimming’s global governing body FINA has called off the World Junior Swimming Championships that were set to take place in Kazan, Russia, in late August.

“FINA will not be holding any future events in Russia if this grave crisis continues,” the organisation added in a statement on Sunday while saying it would provide whatever practical support it could to members of the aquatics family impacted by Russia’s invasion.

Formula 1 has also announced the effective cancellation of the Russian Grand Prix in Sochi, scheduled for 25 September, saying in a statement that the event could not go ahead “in the current circumstances”.

© AAP

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