Neon - (Saba):
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin expressed his regret over the exclusion of Russian youth teams from tournaments, considering that children are paying the price for political conflicts that have nothing to do with them.
In comments quoted by Kicker newspaper, O Jogo, Ceferin said: "It's sad that we don't allow Russian children to play because of the restrictions. They now think we hate them or their nation. I don't hate any nation."
The UEFA president confirmed that some national associations have been subjected to intense political pressure, which prompted them to reject the idea of fielding Russian teams. He added: "It's clear that there will be no change in our position regarding the Russian senior national teams until the conflict is over."
In September 2023, the UEFA Executive Committee proposed allowing Russian youth teams to participate in competitions under a "neutral" status, but countries like Ukraine expressed their intention to boycott any matches against Russia, leading to the decision being rescinded.
It is worth noting that FIFA and UEFA decided in February 2022 to exclude Russian national teams and clubs from all international competitions, limiting their participation to friendly matches only.
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