UEFA have confirmed that Russian under 17 teams will once again be allowed to compete in European competition despite the countries ongoing war with Ukraine.
All Russian teams were banned from competition after the Ukraine invasion began in February 2022 with UEFA also cancelling their sponsorship deal with state owned Gazprom whilst also stripping the 2022 Champions League final and 2023 Super Cup from St Petersburg and Kazan. Although the under 17s will now be allowed to compete they won’t be allowed to wear the national team kit, display their flag or play the national anthem.
A UEFA statement said “Football should never give up sending messages of peace and hope” and that boys and girls should not be punished for the actions of adults. However the FA have said in response “We do not support the position of readmitting Russia to UEFA age-grade competitions, and our position remains that England teams won't play against Russia.”UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said “UEFA’s continuing suspension against Russian adult teams reflects its commitment to take a stand against violence and aggression. UEFA is determined that this position will continue until the war is over and peace restored. "But by banning children from our competitions, we not only fail to recognise and uphold a fundamental right for their holistic development but we directly discriminate against them. By providing opportunities to play and compete with their peers from all over Europe, we are investing in what we hope will be a brighter and more capable future generation and a better tomorrow.”
