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Ukraine condemns FIFA president's remarks on Russia ban
Ukraine's sports minister has sharply criticized FIFA President Gianni Infantino after he suggested reconsidering the suspension of Russian teams from international football competitions, calling his statements "irresponsible" and "infantile."
Infantino's controversial stance
Infantino argued that the ban, imposed by FIFA and UEFA in February 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, "has not achieved anything" and instead "created more frustration and hatred." He proposed that allowing Russian youth teams to compete in Europe could foster positive engagement.
"Having girls and boys from Russia being able to play football games in other parts of Europe would help," Infantino said.
Ukraine's response: War and sport cannot be separated
Ukrainian Sports Minister Matvii Bidnyi rejected Infantino's reasoning in a social media post, stating that the FIFA chief's words "detach football from the reality in which children are being killed."
"Gianni Infantino's words sound irresponsible-not to say infantile. They detach football from the reality in which children are being killed. 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."
Matvii Bidnyi, Ukrainian Sports Minister
Bidnyi emphasized that Russia's war is a crime, not a political issue, and accused Moscow of using sport to justify its aggression. He aligned with the Ukrainian Association of Football, which opposes Russia's return to international competitions while the war continues.
Football community reacts
Serhii Palkin, CEO of Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk, called Infantino's comments "a complete detachment from reality" and an attempt to ignore the ongoing war.
"Football cannot exist outside reality and has no right to turn a blind eye to evil. Such a decision carries responsibility, including responsibility for complicity in the silencing of war crimes."
Serhii Palkin, Shakhtar Donetsk CEO
Shakhtar Donetsk, a 15-time Ukrainian champion, has been displaced from its home city since 2014 due to the conflict in eastern Ukraine's Donbas region. The club has since played home matches in Poland and Germany.
Russia's current status in international football
Since the ban, Russia has missed major tournaments, including the 2022 World Cup, UEFA Euro 2024, and the upcoming 2026 World Cup. However, the country has continued to play matches against non-Western nations without FIFA or UEFA approval.
Infantino's ties to Russia have also drawn scrutiny. In 2018, he was awarded the Russian Order of Friendship by President Vladimir Putin after Russia hosted the World Cup.
Broader context: Paralympic controversy
Ukraine has previously criticized the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) for lifting a ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes. The Ukrainian National Paralympic Committee condemned the decision, stating it allowed the countries to "raise their flags, drenched in the blood of hundreds of thousands of people."
Despite the IPC's reversal, Russian and Belarusian Para-athletes will not compete in next month's Winter Paralympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo due to separate governing bodies maintaining their bans.
