Russian football is not ready to change its residence permit – Sport – Kommersant

The Russian Football Union did not speed up the process of transition from the European Union of Football Associations (UEFA) to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). On Friday, the RFU executive committee did not send a letter of withdrawal from UEFA. Instead, it was decided to create a working group with UEFA to develop a plan for the return of Russian teams to international tournaments, from which they were suspended after the start of events in Ukraine.

The Russian Football Union, contrary to expectations, on Friday, December 30, did not make a decision to change the confederation and move from UEFA to AFC. Judging by the words of the President of the RFU, Alexander Dyukov, the Russian side has a hope that relations with UEFA will be somehow settled or at least removed the most pressing issues.

“Today we completed the meeting of the executive committee. We continued discussing the transition to Asia. It was decided to apply to UEFA on the creation of a working group. We invited three representatives of UEFA, we also want to invite representatives of the International Olympic Committee and FIFA,” Mr. Dyukov told reporters. “I think FIFA will be interested, it is also important for them to find a solution.”

According to the head of the RFU, the purpose of creating a working group is to analyze and develop a road map for the speedy return of Russian teams to international tournaments.

The group will be formed right after the holidays and is scheduled to be completed by April 1st. An agreement with UEFA on the creation of a group has been reached, an official letter will be sent there.

However, Mr. Dyukov made a reservation that UEFA’s agreement to delegate its representatives to the working group does not mean that the European governing football structure has become more accommodating.

“On the part of UEFA, the attitude towards us has not changed,” Mr. Dyukov stated. “Since we have agreed to create a working group, it means that UEFA President Alexander Ceferin also wants this. Not everything is so bad in our relations, although they are at their lowest point. But there is hope for normalization.” The President of the RFU is sure that “UEFA does not want to lose us, otherwise they would have been expelled long ago.”

Alexander Dyukov also said that the issue of moving to the AFC was not raised at the executive committee of the RFU. According to him, it was only about how to return Russian teams to the international arena as soon as possible. Moreover, in fact, the president of the RFU admitted that the transfer to the AFC by itself would solve little, since the main goal of Mr. Dyukov, in his own words, is to ensure the participation of the Russian team in the 2026 World Cup.

“We can go to Asia, but we need a FIFA decision to play in the 2026 World Cup – within the framework of this working group, we will agree faster,” he said. “I am not ready to wait long. As for the other members of the executive committee, you should ask them. Two, three, four, ten years – everyone has their own time frame. Our main task is to take part in the selection for the 2026 World Cup.”

At the same time, Mr. Dyukov nevertheless noted that “AFC has once again confirmed that it is ready to accept us.” “We did not receive any letters of guarantee, but there is no reason not to trust them,” he said.

In the spring, shortly after the start of events in Ukraine, FIFA and UEFA suspended Russian teams from participating in international tournaments. The RFU’s attempt to challenge these decisions in the Court of Arbitration for Sport was a success. not crowned. In September, UEFA adopted decision not to allow the Russian national team before the draw for the qualifying tournament of the European Championship-2024. No decision has yet been made on the 2026 World Championship.

Alexander Petrov