Orient Express stalled: why Russian football is not expected in Asia

The previously announced decision by the Russian Football Union on the transition from the European football zone to the Asian Football Confederation, scheduled for December 27, is postponed. “MK” understands the reasons for what is happening.

President of the Russian Football Union Alexander Dyukov on December 23, answering journalists’ questions after the meeting of the Executive Committee of the RFU, spoke about the actual inevitability of the transition of Russian football from the European Union of Football Associations (UEFA) to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Hopes for the normalization of the sanity of European football officials and some players from unfriendly countries, as well as faith in the triumph of sports law in the International Court of Arbitration, were initially replaced by bitter disappointment. And then the understanding came – the return to true sports cooperation with Russian athletes, pure wrestling with them without an admixture of political madness can take many Europeans for many years. And the development of our sport cannot depend on other states.

Therefore, the decision to move to AFC looks quite logical. There are at least some chances of participating in international tournaments, unlike the European desert.

As Dyukov said after the executive committee of the RFU, “We exchanged views. There were doubts, but the majority expressed support. Questions that need to be worked out were asked. On Tuesday, December 27, a decision will be made.”

Day X has come, but there is no solution. Instead, the football union released the following statement: “The RFU has decided to postpone the vote of the executive committee on the issue of leaving UEFA and moving to the AFC. The postponement is due to the need for additional consultations related to the potential transition of Russia to the AFC. It is planned that the voting will take place until December 31, 2022.”

What needed to be done?

“You must apply for withdrawal from UEFA by December 31 in order to have a chance to participate in the selection for the 2026 World Cup. If we don’t do it by December 31st, then the next official tournament we can take part in is the cycle from 2027. The delay may lead to a pause of 4 years,” Dyukov told reporters. Also, obviously, it is necessary to notify the AFC and FIFA in writing of the intention to change the football residence permit.

As for FIFA, again, according to Dyukov, “The issue of changing the confederation does not fall within the competence of FIFA, but actual consent will be required. At the moment, we have information that FIFA does not mind if the RFU changes its confederation and moves to Asia.”

The AFC, according to the President of the RFU, as of December 23, took the following position: “at the moment it is ready to accept us, but no one is ready now to give some kind of written guarantee that we will be accepted, but they are ready to consider our appeal. The probability that we will be accepted there is high. This requires an appeal (RFU – ed. note) and a decision by a majority of votes (AFC member countries – ed.).

Naturally, the AFK cannot give any guarantees in principle, because there will be a vote. Therefore, we need to make the decision about the future of our football ourselves.

What’s happening?

Dyukov outlined possible reasons for the postponement of the vote on December 23. When he said that they do not give us any written guarantees. And this issue has not yet been resolved.

“In my opinion, the postponement is connected with the decision to work out in more detail the issue of joining the AFC. Everything is far from simple there. Today there is no guarantee that we will be expected and accepted into the AFC,” RFU Honorary President Vyacheslav Koloskov told RIA Novosti .

Which, in general, is not surprising. The AFC already has fewer places in the World Cup than UEFA, and then a strong enough team will come, capable of moving the already long-term members of the confederation.

And UEFA, according to some sources, is in no hurry to let us go. But he doesn’t let me play football. “This is such a squiggle,” as our former first president of the Russian Federation said.

However, there is still time. And we are waiting for three days of exciting football thriller before this New Year.