Uefa has told Russia that the country’s bid to host the men’s European Championship has been rejected and that their team will be replaced by Portugal in the women’s tournament this summer, as it took further measures in response to the war in Ukraine.
The European governing body said it was acting to ensure its tournaments had “smooth staging in a safe and secure environment for all”, and confirmed that there would be no Russian sides competing in next season’s European club competitions either.
Russia had made a shock, and many felt provocative, move in March when it expressed an interest in hosting the men’s European Championship in 2028 or 2032, despite being banned from international football at the moment of application. Responding to the move on Monday, Uefa said it had rejected the submission as “not eligible”, citing article 16.02 of its regulations which states that “each bidder shall ensure that it does not act in a manner that could bring Uefa . . . or European football into disrepute.”
With the women’s Euros due to start on July 6th, Uefa confirmed that Portugal would take part in the tournament to be held in England, claiming the place vacated by Russia, who beat them in a qualifying playoff. Russia will not be able to qualify for next year’s women’s World Cup, having been removed by Uefa from qualifying Group E and their results rendered null and void.
In what amounted to a barrage of injunctions against Russia and its football authorities, which took in everything from participation in the Futsal Champions League to the amateur Regions’ Cup, Uefa also took action against its club sides.
No Russian team will take part in European competition next season and the country’s coefficient has been reduced to a level consistent with the lowest total reached over the past five seasons. One immediate consequence is that the champions of this season’s Scottish Premiership will gain automatic qualification to the group stages of next season’s Champions League.
As a coda to the organisation’s various decrees, a spokesperson said that Uefa would “remain on standby to convene further meetings to reassess the legal and factual situation as it evolves and adopt further decisions as necessary”. – Guardian
