Ukraine Condemns Infantino Comments on Possible Lifting of Russia Ban
Ukraine reacts angrily to Fifa president’s comments on reviewing Russia’s football suspension
- Infantino suggests Fifa could review the ban on Russian teams.
- Ukraine’s sports minister calls the remarks “irresponsible” and “infantile.”
- Ukraine says hundreds of its athletes have been killed since the invasion.
Ukraine’s Minister of Youth and Sports has sharply criticised Fifa president Gianni Infantino after he suggested that world football’s governing body could review the ban on Russian teams and clubs.
Russian national sides and club teams have been suspended from all Fifa and Uefa competitions since February 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking amid the ongoing war, Infantino argued that the ban “has not achieved anything” and has instead “created more frustration and hatred.” He suggested that allowing Russian children and young players to take part in football competitions across Europe could have a positive impact.
The comments sparked an immediate backlash from Ukraine’s sports minister, Matvii Bidnyi, who described Infantino’s remarks as “irresponsible” and “infantile.”
In a statement shared on social media, Bidnyi said the comments detached football from the harsh realities of the war, particularly the impact on Ukrainian children and athletes.
“Gianni Infantino’s words sound irresponsible — not to say infantile,” Bidnyi wrote. “They separate football from a reality in which children are being killed.”
He added that since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, more than 650 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have been killed, including over 100 footballers, underscoring the human cost of the conflict.
The ban on Russian participation in international football remains in place, with no formal timeline announced for its review.
