Gianni Infantino is the President of FIFA
President of the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA), Gianni Infantino, has called for the ban on Russia to be reviewed, arguing that it has not been impactful.
Russia was exiled from international football by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and FIFA following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The intent of the ban was to pressure Russia into ending the invasion of Ukraine and restoring peace between the two countries. However, after four years, there has been no breakthrough.
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Speaking on the ban, Infantino suggested that it has failed to achieve its objectives and may have worsened the situation.
He stated that it would be beneficial for Russian sports personalities to be welcomed back into football.
“This ban has not achieved anything and has just created more frustration and hatred. Having girls and boys from Russia being able to play football games in other parts of Europe would help,” Infantino said, as reported by the BBC.
His comments have been met with intense backlash from some sports personalities and fans, who expressed disappointment and accused the FIFA president of indirectly supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
SB/JE
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