MOSCOW, March 21. /TASS/. The priority for the Russian Football Union (RFU) is for its national teams and clubs to play in European tournaments, but the organization is considering all possible options, RFU Deputy Secretary General Denis Rogachyov said on Tuesday.

"I have nothing new to add here. We have established a Work Group that is engaged in the negotiating process with UEFA [the Union of European Football Associations] and [the world’s governing football body] FIFA on Russia’s step-by-step return," Rogachyov said speaking on Tuesday at a session of the Russian parliament’s lower house, the State Duma.

"Africa recently hosted a FIFA Congress and soon there will be an election for the UEFA president in Lisbon, which we will attend," he said. "The process of reinstating our rights to remain part of European football is a priority, but all scenarios are currently on the table."

"The national football team’s activities were not put on hold," Rogachyov continued. "It [the team] suffered a lot and there is a lack of other national teams wishing to play against us."

"We are now involved in a very complicated negotiating process [with FIFA, UEFA] and also in talks regarding the national team’s participation in the Central Asian Football Federation’s championship in June. We have preserved our corporate rights to be a part of UEFA and FIFA, yet we are holding talks with our colleagues regarding our stage-by-stage return," Rogachyov added.

The press office of the Tajikistan Football Federation (TFF) announced to TASS on March 13 that the Russian national football squad would be allowed to take part in the Central Asian Football Federation (CAFA) championship in June.

Later that day, the Russian Football Union (RFU) announced that it was in talks about the possible participation of the men’s national team in the championship.

CAFA was established in June 2014 and is one of five regional bodies of governance within the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Besides CAFA, the AFC also includes the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF), the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF), the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) and the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF).

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 tournaments.

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

Russian Football Union (RFU) President Alexander Dyukov announced in late November, 2022 that because of Russia’s suspension from UEFA and FIFA competitions for its national teams and football clubs, the RFU was looking at joining the Asian Football Confederation.