All news

Colombian footballer Barrios: It was unjust to bar Russian clubs from European tournaments

"It is particularly disappointing that based on a sporting principle we deserved to play in the Champions League this season, but, unfortunately, we were unfairly deprived of that right," Wilmar Barrios stated

MOSCOW, March 1. /TASS/. Colombia’s defensive midfielder Wilmar Barrios, who plays for Russian football club Zenit St. Petersburg, said on Wednesday that Russian football clubs have been unjustly stripped of their right to compete in European tournaments and hopes that the situation will soon change for the better.

"My opinion about Russia joining the Asian football confederation? For me, the only thing that matters is the European Champions League, because it’s a tournament that all footballers want to play in," Barrios said in an interview with Russia’s Sport Express daily.

"I've heard about plans to move, but I think there would be a lot of problems with long flights and more," he continued.

"It is particularly disappointing that based on a sporting principle we deserved to play in the Champions League this season, but, unfortunately, we were unfairly deprived of that right," Barrios stated. "I sincerely hope that the situation with the European tournaments will change in the near future."

Barrios, 29, is a defensive midfielder for the Colombian national football team. In February 2019 he signed a 4.5-year contract with esteemed Russian football club Zenit St. Petersburg and later extended it until the end of the 2025/2026 season.

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) barred Russian clubs and teams on February 28, 2022 from participating in international competitions due to the situation around Ukraine.

On February 28, 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations to international sports federations to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from taking part in international tournaments referring to a special military operation in Ukraine.

Following the IOC’s recommendations in late February, the majority of global sports federations decided to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from all international sports tourna tournaments.

After the suspension of Russian athletes from international tournaments, many sports federations hinted at their possible participation in the Asia-based sports tournaments.