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Ukraine objects to proposed Russia-Serbia football match, seeks FIFA, UEFA intervention

The International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) announced on February 28, 2022 that the Russian national team and all professional clubs representing the country were barred from taking part in FIFA tournaments

MOSCOW, December 21. /TASS/. /TASS/. The Ukrainian Football Association (UFA) has turned to FIFA and UEFA with a request to step in and prevent the previously announced friendly football match next year between the national football teams of Russia and Serbia, the UFA’s press office said in a statement on Thursday.

President of the Russian Football Union (RFU) Alexander Dyukov said on December 20 that the RFU and the Football Association of Serbia (FAS) had agreed to hold a friendly football match between the national teams next year.

"We at UAF… insist that in the current conditions it is not possible to hold the above-mentioned match," Ukraine’s governing body of football stated, referring to the ongoing military conflict in the region.

Speaking about the possible Russia-Serbia friendly football encounter next year, Dyukov said "We have received an approval from the UEFA, but anything can happen afterwards… I cannot guarantee that the Serbian players will come to play, but we have a contract, which had been signed."

The International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) announced on February 28, 2022 that the Russian national team and all professional clubs representing the country were barred from taking part in FIFA tournaments.

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) made the same decision in regard to the Russian national football team’s participation in UEFA tournaments.

Both FIFA and UEFA cited Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine as being the reason for their decisions.

Since sanctions were introduced, the Russian national football squad has played a host of friendlies against other countries, namely against Kyrgyzstan (2-1), Tajikistan (0-0), Uzbekistan (0-0), Iran (1-1), Iraq (2-0), Cameroon (1-0), Kenya (2-2) and Cuba (8-0).

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