Russian Football Union to appeal the suspension of Russian club and National team by FIFA and UEFA.
The Russian Football Union (RFU) have announced on Thursday that it will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport over the decisions from FIFA and UEFA earlier this week to suspend Russian clubs and national teams from all international competitions.
The decision was made following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that sparked international outcry and a host of sporting sanctions and suspensions.
As it stands, Russia would not compete in the upcoming World Cup playoffs — Russia were due to play Poland in a semifinal ahead of a potential final against Sweden or the Czech Republic in March — and the Russia women’s team would be removed from the European Championships due to be staged in England in July. Spartak Moscow have also been removed from the Europa League, where they were due to meet RB Leipzig in the round of 16.
The RFU said in a statement that it would file one lawsuit against the two governing bodies to demand that Russian men’s and women’s national teams be allowed to compete.
“The RFU will demand the restoration of all men’s and women’s national teams of Russia in all types of football in the tournaments in which they took part (including in the qualifying round of the World Cup in Qatar), as well as compensation for damage,” the RFU said.
“In order to ensure the possibility of the participation of Russian teams in the next scheduled matches, the RFU will insist on an expedited procedure for considering the case.”
All three potential opponents of Russia in World Cup qualifying — Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic — had refused to play Russia.
“If FIFA and UEFA refuse such a procedure, a requirement will be put forward for the introduction of interim measures in the form of suspension of FIFA and UEFA decisions,” the RFU added.
Russia hosted the most recent World Cup in 2018, with the final held in Moscow and attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
