No international football matches will be played in Russia and the country’s flag and anthem will be banned from any of their matches abroad, world football governing body, FIFA, said on Sunday as it announced a number of sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
FIFA said the national team would not compete as Russia but as the Football Union of Russia (RFU) and any games would be held with no fans on “neutral territory”.
These come after scores of sports federations and clubs cancelled competitions in Russia or have refused to face Russian teams in protest of the invasion.
This is FIFA’s ‘first measures’ against Russia for invading Ukraine.
Following the military invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, several nations including England, Poland, Czech Republic and Sweden have announced that they will refuse to play Russia.
FIFA said talks will take place with other sporting organisations over whether Russia should be expelled from competitions.
A statement issued last night said “The Bureau of the FIFA Council remains on standby to take any of these decisions.
”First and foremost, FIFA would like to reiterate its condemnation of the use of force by Russia in its invasion of Ukraine.”
The International Olympic Committee urged international sports federations on Friday to either move or cancel events planned in Russia or Belarus. Russian troops entered Ukraine through Belarus when the invasion began on Thursday.
FIFA said it would try to find a solution with the three countries –Sweden, Poland, and the Czech Republic — involved in the World Cup qualifiers.
“(FIFA) has already engaged in dialogue with all of these football associations. FIFA will remain in close contact to seek to find appropriate and acceptable solutions together.”
Ukrainian forces were holding off Russian troops advancing on the capital Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, as the biggest assault on a European state since World War Two entered the fourth day.