Shevchenko meets Infantino after Russia ban comments

Andriy Shevchenko met with FIFA president Gianni Infantino at UEFA’s Congress in Brussels after Infantino criticised the ban on Russia and suggested FIFA should avoid excluding countries for the actions of political leaders.Shevchenko, the president of the Ukrainian Association of Football and former AC Milan and Chelsea forward, had said he wanted to use the Congress to restate Ukraine’s position and provide FIFA’s leadership with “information about the war in Ukraine and our position.”The issue has escalated since Infantino’s hour-long interview with Sky News on February 2, in which he argued that Russia’s suspension has been counterproductive and said FIFA would consider reversing it. Asked whether he would explore lifting the ban, Infantino replied: “We have to. Definitely. Because this ban has not achieved anything, it has just created more frustration and hatred.”Infantino went further by questioning the principle of suspensions linked to state actions, saying FIFA “should actually never ban any country from playing football because of the acts of their political leaders.” The comments were interpreted in Russia as a sign the door could reopen. Russian FA representative Alexei Sorokin told reporters in Brussels: “It’s a good sign. At least we took it that way.”The UAF responded within hours of Infantino’s interview, rejecting his characterisation of the ban and warning against a return while the war continues. “We do not agree with the claim that the ban against the aggressor is ineffective,” the UAF said.“We believe that exclusion from participation in competitions is an effective method of pressure on the aggressor. The potential reintegration of any Russian national teams poses a threat to the safety and integrity of competitions.”According to an official statement, "The UAF President also had an important conversation with FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Andriy Shevchenko conveyed information about the difficult situation in Ukraine due to Russia's military aggression and emphasised the unacceptability of any attempts to soften the ban for Russians. No questions regarding the return of Russians were discussed at the UEFA Congress in BrusselsUEFA President Aleksander Čeferin also stated that the governing body of European football is currently not considering the possibility of Russia's return to the international community, after FIFA head Gianni Infantino recently expressed support for easing the country's participation ban.FIFA and UEFA suspended Russian national teams and clubs from international competitions in 2022 after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine has consistently argued that any move towards reintegration would undermine both safety and the integrity of competitions.Ukraine’s government also condemned Infantino’s remarks. Foreign minister Andrii Sybiha described him as a “moral degenerate” and wrote: “679 Ukrainian girls and boys will never be able to play football – Russia killed them.“And it keeps killing more while moral degenerates suggest lifting bans, despite Russia’s failure to end its war. Future generations will view this as a shame reminiscent of the 1936 Olympics.”