The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) have dismissed appeals filed by the Russian soccer federation and four Russian clubs against FIFA and UEFA’s decision to ban them from all competition until further notice following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
FIFA and European soccer’s governing body UEFA decided in February that all Russian teams, whether national or club sides, would be suspended from participation in FIFA and UEFA competitions after the invasion, which Moscow calls a “special military operation”
In March, CAS rejected a request from the Russian soccer federation (FUR) to freeze FIFA’s suspension, effectively ending its hopes of competing at the World Cup in Qatar.
Later in May, Russian Premier League clubs Zenit St Petersburg, Dynamo Moscow, FC Sochi and CSKA Moscow filed an appeal against UEFA.
“In all of these cases, the Panel determined that the escalation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and the public and government responses worldwide, created unforeseen and unprecedented circumstances to which FIFA and UEFA had to respond,” CAS said in a statement on Friday.
“In determining that Russian teams and clubs should not participate in competitions under their aegis while such circumstances persisted, the Panel held that both parties acted within the scope of the discretion granted to them under their respective statutes and regulations.”
After FIFA and UEFA’s decision, several national soccer associations also announced that they would not play against Russia in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine, including those of Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic.
The decision leaves national champions Zenit St Petersburg out of the Champions League group stage. Another Russian team, Sochi, will be left out of the Champions League third qualifying-round draw, scheduled for Monday. If Russia had been allowed to take part, it wasn’t clear where their home games could be hosted or if Ukrainian clubs would boycott.
