Sun, February 27, 2022
A 'Football Stands Together' message is displayed in Ukrainian colours ahead of the English League Cup final football match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Wembley Stadium (AFP/JUSTIN TALLIS) (JUSTIN TALLIS)
Russia faced calls to be banished from the 2022 World Cup on Sunday as Moscow edged towards becoming a sports pariah following its invasion of Ukraine.
Demands to dump Russia from football's showpiece event were led by French Football Federation president Noel Le Graet.
"The world of sport, and especially football, cannot remain neutral. I certainly would not oppose the expulsion of Russia," said Le Graet told Le Parisien newspaper.
France are the reigning world champions having won the 2018 tournament played in Russia.
Governing body FIFA warned that they were considering the ultimate sanction but after four days of war, they on Sunday only ordered Russia to play home internationals on neutral venues.
Their national flag and anthem are also to be banned.
FIFA also said Russian teams would play as the "Football Union of Russia".
FIFA admitted, however, it would continue its dialogue with other sports organisations to determine additional measures "including potential exclusion from competitions".
However, within minutes of FIFA's announcement, the Polish FA insisted once again that they will not play Russia in a World Cup play-off.
"Today's FIFA decision is totally unacceptable," tweeted Polish FA president Cezary Kulesza.
"We are not interested in participating in this game of appearances. Our stance remains intact: Polish National Team will NOT PLAY with Russia, no matter what the name of the team is."
Poland were due to play in Moscow on March 24.
Should Russia win, they are scheduled to host the winners of a match between the Czechs and the Swedes on March 29.
Sweden and the Czech Republic have also refused to play Russia in the play-offs.
The English FA said Sunday that their national teams would not play any games against Russia "out of solidarity with Ukraine and to wholeheartedly condemn the atrocities being committed by the Russian leadership".
European governing body UEFA took action on Friday, stripping Saint Petersburg's Gazprom Arena of the Champions League final on May 28 and awarding the showpiece match to the Stade de France in Paris.
At Wembley on Sunday, Chelsea skipper Cesar Azpilicueta and Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson carried flowers in Ukraine's yellow and blue colours onto the pitch before kick-off in their League Cup final.
Both teams stood for a minute's applause, while a message on the stadium scoreboard in yellow and blue read "Football Stands Together".
- 'Save Ukraine, save Europe' -
Liverpool and Chelsea fans were seen with Ukraine flags in their sections of Wembley.
One supportive banner in Ukraine's blue and yellow colours read "You'll never walk alone" in reference to Liverpool's anthem.
Chelsea also said they were "praying for peace" following Russia's invasion of Ukraine after owner Roman Abramovich's decision to hand over control of the Premier League club.
The Russian-Israeli billionaire announced on Saturday that he was handing the "stewardship and care" of Chelsea to the trustees of the club's charitable foundation. But he will remain as owner.
There was no mention in his statement of the crisis in Ukraine.
Chelsea released a 24-word statement on their website but there was no mention of Russia or its president, Vladimir Putin.
"The situation in Ukraine is horrific and devastating," the statement said. "Chelsea FC's thoughts are with everyone in Ukraine. Everyone at the club is praying for peace."
It is understood Abramovich, who allegedly has links to the Kremlin, took the decision to step aside in order to protect Chelsea from reputational damage as war rages in Ukraine.
Sporting anger wasn't just limited to football.
In Cairo, Ukrainian fencers withdrew from the world championships to avoid facing Russia in a match-up.
The Ukraine men's team, dressed in the yellow and blue of their national flag, downed their swords and picked up signs to protest.
"Stop Russia! Stop the war!," the signs read, written in English. "Save Ukraine! Save Europe."
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Sporting Sanctions Can Land Significant Blow on Putin, Say Experts
February 28, 2022
Agence France-Presse
February 28, 2022
Agence France-Presse
A general view of the St. Petersburg Stadium prior to the Confederations Cup soccer match between New Zealand and Portugal, in St. Petersburg, Russia, June 24, 2017.
Russia hosting the 2018 World Cup, the scandal-plagued 2014 Winter Olympics and Gazprom’s sponsorship of the Champions League were powerful tools for the country’s global image and gained Vladimir Putin prestige amongst the Russian population.
However, the Russian president’s decision to invade Ukraine has resulted in destroying the warm global afterglow and experts believe it could cost him dearly internally.
Saint Petersburg has already been stripped of hosting this year’s Champions League final with Gazprom’s reported 40-million-euro ($45 million) a year sponsorship deal with UEFA also in doubt.
The Russian Formula One Grand Prix has been cancelled and there are calls for the country’s football team to be expelled from the 2022 World Cup play-offs.
“Sport has always had a tremendous impact on society,” Michael Payne, former head of marketing at the International Olympic Committee (IOC), told AFP.
“The South African sports boycott over apartheid probably had as much or greater impact than economic sanctions, over forcing regime policy change.”
For Hugh Robertson, Chairman of the British Olympic Association (BOA), a blanket sports ban could affect Putin’s standing domestically.
“Sport is disproportionately important to absolutist regimes,” he told AFP.
“The potential inability to compete would hit Russia hard.”
Payne, who in nearly two decades at the IOC was widely credited with transforming its brand and finances through sponsorship, said Putin risked his standing with his own people.
“Putin may not care what the rest of the world thinks of him, but he has to care what the Russian people think of him,” said the Irishman.
“Lose their support and it is game over -– and the actions of the sports community has the potential to be a very important influencer towards the Russian people.”
‘A greater good’
Prominent Russian sports stars have not been shy in voicing their disquiet over Putin’s invasion.
Andrey Rublev, who won the Dubai ATP title on Saturday, veteran Russian football international Fedor Smolov, United States-based ice hockey great Alex Ovechkin and cyclist Pavel Sivakov, who rides for the Ineos team have all expressed a desire for peace.
“Russian athletes speaking out to their national fan base, will only serve to further prompt the local population to question the actions of their leadership, and undermine the local national support for the war,” said Payne.
Russia hosting the 2018 World Cup, the scandal-plagued 2014 Winter Olympics and Gazprom’s sponsorship of the Champions League were powerful tools for the country’s global image and gained Vladimir Putin prestige amongst the Russian population.
However, the Russian president’s decision to invade Ukraine has resulted in destroying the warm global afterglow and experts believe it could cost him dearly internally.
Saint Petersburg has already been stripped of hosting this year’s Champions League final with Gazprom’s reported 40-million-euro ($45 million) a year sponsorship deal with UEFA also in doubt.
The Russian Formula One Grand Prix has been cancelled and there are calls for the country’s football team to be expelled from the 2022 World Cup play-offs.
“Sport has always had a tremendous impact on society,” Michael Payne, former head of marketing at the International Olympic Committee (IOC), told AFP.
“The South African sports boycott over apartheid probably had as much or greater impact than economic sanctions, over forcing regime policy change.”
For Hugh Robertson, Chairman of the British Olympic Association (BOA), a blanket sports ban could affect Putin’s standing domestically.
“Sport is disproportionately important to absolutist regimes,” he told AFP.
“The potential inability to compete would hit Russia hard.”
Payne, who in nearly two decades at the IOC was widely credited with transforming its brand and finances through sponsorship, said Putin risked his standing with his own people.
“Putin may not care what the rest of the world thinks of him, but he has to care what the Russian people think of him,” said the Irishman.
“Lose their support and it is game over -– and the actions of the sports community has the potential to be a very important influencer towards the Russian people.”
‘A greater good’
Prominent Russian sports stars have not been shy in voicing their disquiet over Putin’s invasion.
Andrey Rublev, who won the Dubai ATP title on Saturday, veteran Russian football international Fedor Smolov, United States-based ice hockey great Alex Ovechkin and cyclist Pavel Sivakov, who rides for the Ineos team have all expressed a desire for peace.
“Russian athletes speaking out to their national fan base, will only serve to further prompt the local population to question the actions of their leadership, and undermine the local national support for the war,” said Payne.
Artists perform during the opening of the World Cup at the Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Russia, on June 14, 2018. (REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov)
However, another former IOC marketing executive Terrence Burns, who since leaving the organization has played a key role in five successful Olympic bid city campaigns, has doubts about their impact.
“You are making the assumption that Russian people actually see, read, and hear ‘real news’,” he told AFP.
“I do not believe that is the case. The Government will portray Russia as a victim of a great global conspiracy led by the USA and the West.
“It is an old Russian trope they have used quite effectively since the Soviet days.”
Burns says sadly the athletes must also be punished for their government’s aggression.
“I believe that Russia must pay the price for what it has done,” he said.
“Sadly, that has to include her athletes as well.
“Many people, like me, believed that by helping them host the Olympics and World Cup could somehow open and liberalize the society, creating new paths of progress for Russia’s young people. Again, we were wrong.”
Robertson too says allowing Russians to compete when Ukrainians are unable to due to the conflict is “morally inconceivable.”
Payne says individual sports have to look at a bigger moral picture than their own potential losses over cutting Russian sponsorship contracts.
“The sports world risks losing far more by not reacting, than the loss of one or two Russian sponsors.”
Former British lawmaker Robertson, who as Minister for Sport and the Olympics delivered the highly successful 2012 London Games, agrees.
“The sporting world may have to wean itself off Russian money,” said the 59-year-old.
“Over the past few days, it has become apparent that political, economic and trade sanctions will hurt the West as well as Russia, but this is a price that we will have to pay to achieve a greater good.”
For Robertson sport could not stand idly by in response to Russia’s invasion.
“The Russian invasion of Ukraine will impact sport but the consequences of inaction, or prevarication, will be far more serious.”
However, another former IOC marketing executive Terrence Burns, who since leaving the organization has played a key role in five successful Olympic bid city campaigns, has doubts about their impact.
“You are making the assumption that Russian people actually see, read, and hear ‘real news’,” he told AFP.
“I do not believe that is the case. The Government will portray Russia as a victim of a great global conspiracy led by the USA and the West.
“It is an old Russian trope they have used quite effectively since the Soviet days.”
Burns says sadly the athletes must also be punished for their government’s aggression.
“I believe that Russia must pay the price for what it has done,” he said.
“Sadly, that has to include her athletes as well.
“Many people, like me, believed that by helping them host the Olympics and World Cup could somehow open and liberalize the society, creating new paths of progress for Russia’s young people. Again, we were wrong.”
Robertson too says allowing Russians to compete when Ukrainians are unable to due to the conflict is “morally inconceivable.”
Payne says individual sports have to look at a bigger moral picture than their own potential losses over cutting Russian sponsorship contracts.
“The sports world risks losing far more by not reacting, than the loss of one or two Russian sponsors.”
Former British lawmaker Robertson, who as Minister for Sport and the Olympics delivered the highly successful 2012 London Games, agrees.
“The sporting world may have to wean itself off Russian money,” said the 59-year-old.
“Over the past few days, it has become apparent that political, economic and trade sanctions will hurt the West as well as Russia, but this is a price that we will have to pay to achieve a greater good.”
For Robertson sport could not stand idly by in response to Russia’s invasion.
“The Russian invasion of Ukraine will impact sport but the consequences of inaction, or prevarication, will be far more serious.”
Euro backlash as FIFA refuses to expel Russia from football
A general view of the St. Petersburg Stadium prior to the Confederations Cup soccer match between New Zealand and Portugal, in St. Petersburg, Russia, June 24, 2017. The British government led calls Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022 for the Champions League final to be taken off Russia by European football's governing body to punish its deepening intervention in Ukraine. The showpiece men's game is due to be played in St. Petersburg on May 28 for the biggest sporting event in Russia since the 2018 World Cup.
A general view of the St. Petersburg Stadium prior to the Confederations Cup soccer match between New Zealand and Portugal, in St. Petersburg, Russia, June 24, 2017. The British government led calls Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022 for the Champions League final to be taken off Russia by European football's governing body to punish its deepening intervention in Ukraine. The showpiece men's game is due to be played in St. Petersburg on May 28 for the biggest sporting event in Russia since the 2018 World Cup.
(AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, file)
LONDON (AP) — FIFA drew a swift backlash from European nations for not immediately expelling Russia from World Cup qualifying on Sunday and only ordering the country to play without its flag and anthem at neutral venues under the name of its federation — the Football Union of Russia.
Protesting against FIFA’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Poland said it would still refuse to play the country in a World Cup playoff semifinal, which is scheduled for March 24.
“Today’s FIFA decision is totally unacceptable,” Polish football federation president Cezary Kulesza tweeted. “We are not interested in participating in this game of appearances. Our stance remains intact: Polish National Team will NOT PLAY with Russia, no matter what the name of the team is.”
The unanimous ruling by the FIFA Bureau, featuring the six regional football confederation presidents, said the Russian flag and anthem can’t be associated with the team playing as “Football Union of Russia (RFU).”
“FIFA will continue its ongoing dialogue with the IOC, UEFA and other sport organizations to determine any additional measures or sanctions,” FIFA said in a statement, “including a potential exclusion from competitions, that shall be applied in the near future should the situation not be improving rapidly.”
The decision adopts the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling before the invasion of Ukraine, punishing Russia’s cover-up of the investigation into state-sponsored doping. It meant the Russians had to compete at the last two Olympics as the ROC team — Russian Olympic Committee. FIFA had stalled implementing the ban on Russia competing under the country’s name until a potential qualification the World Cup.
The winner of the Russia-Poland playoff is due to host Sweden or the Czech Republic on March 29 to decide who advances to the Nov. 21-Dec. 18 World Cup in Qatar.
Swedish federation president Karl-Erik Nilsson, the senior UEFA vice president, told the website Fotbollskanalen that he was not satisfied with the FIFA decision with a “sharper stance” expected. The Czechs said the FIFA compromise did not change their decision not to play Russia.
FIFA said it had engaged with the three associations and would remain in “close contact to seek to find appropriate and acceptable solutions together.”
Separately, the English Football Association announced that its national teams would refuse to play Russia for the “foreseeable future.” Russia has qualified for the Women’s European Championship which is being hosted by England in June.
The English FA said the decision was taken “out of solidarity with the Ukraine and to wholeheartedly condemn the atrocities being committed by the Russian leadership.”
The RFU’s president is Aleksandr Dyukov, who is chief executive of a subsidiary of state-owned energy giant Gazprom and also sits on the UEFA executive committee.
In France, the football federation president Noël Le Graët told the Le Parisien daily Sunday that he was leaning toward excluding Russia from the World Cup.
“The world of sport, and in particular football, cannot remain neutral,” said Le Graët, who sits on the ruling FIFA Council and has recently been a close ally of the governing body’s president, Gianni Infantino.
A strict reading of FIFA’s World Cup regulations would even make the Polish, Swedish and Czech federations liable to disciplinary action and having to pay fines and compensation if they wouldn’t play Russia.
In 1992, however, FIFA and UEFA removed Yugoslavia from its competitions following United Nations sanctions imposed when war broke out in the Balkans.
The FIFA Bureau, which is chaired by Infantino, includes UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin.
UEFA on Friday pulled the 2022 Champions League final from St. Petersburg, moving it to Paris, and said Russian and Ukrainian teams in its competitions must play home games in neutral countries. UEFA allowed Spartak Moscow to continue playing in the second-tier Europa League’s round of 16.
As Russia’s war on Ukraine entered a fourth day on Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin temporarily lost his most senior official position in world sports. The International Judo Federation cited “the ongoing war conflict in Ukraine” for suspending Putin’s honorary president status.
The Russian president is a keen judoka and attended the sport at the 2012 London Olympics.
There was an abrupt resignation on Sunday from the Russian who is president of the European Judo Union, with Sergey Soloveychik referencing the “heartache that we see the people in brotherly countries die” but backing his country.
“No one doubts that my heart belongs to judo,” he said. “But it is equally true that it belongs to my homeland, Russia. We, judoka, must always be loyal to our principles.”
In Putin’s other favorite sport, ice hockey, Latvian club Dinamo Riga withdrew Sunday from the Russian-owned and run Kontinental Hockey League citing the “military and humanitarian crisis.”
On Sunday, FINA announced the cancellation of the world junior swim titles which were scheduled from Aug. 23-28 in Kazan. FINA said it was looking for a replacement host for the event.
“FINA remains extremely concerned with the continuing war in Ukraine and following ongoing consultation with athletes and stakeholders from the aquatics family, FINA can now confirm that the 8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships and FINA will not be holding any future events in Russia if this grave crisis continues,” the FINA statement said.
___
AP Sports Writer Graham Dunbar in Geneva and Karel Janicek in Prague contributed to this report.
___
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
LONDON (AP) — FIFA drew a swift backlash from European nations for not immediately expelling Russia from World Cup qualifying on Sunday and only ordering the country to play without its flag and anthem at neutral venues under the name of its federation — the Football Union of Russia.
Protesting against FIFA’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Poland said it would still refuse to play the country in a World Cup playoff semifinal, which is scheduled for March 24.
“Today’s FIFA decision is totally unacceptable,” Polish football federation president Cezary Kulesza tweeted. “We are not interested in participating in this game of appearances. Our stance remains intact: Polish National Team will NOT PLAY with Russia, no matter what the name of the team is.”
The unanimous ruling by the FIFA Bureau, featuring the six regional football confederation presidents, said the Russian flag and anthem can’t be associated with the team playing as “Football Union of Russia (RFU).”
“FIFA will continue its ongoing dialogue with the IOC, UEFA and other sport organizations to determine any additional measures or sanctions,” FIFA said in a statement, “including a potential exclusion from competitions, that shall be applied in the near future should the situation not be improving rapidly.”
The decision adopts the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling before the invasion of Ukraine, punishing Russia’s cover-up of the investigation into state-sponsored doping. It meant the Russians had to compete at the last two Olympics as the ROC team — Russian Olympic Committee. FIFA had stalled implementing the ban on Russia competing under the country’s name until a potential qualification the World Cup.
The winner of the Russia-Poland playoff is due to host Sweden or the Czech Republic on March 29 to decide who advances to the Nov. 21-Dec. 18 World Cup in Qatar.
Swedish federation president Karl-Erik Nilsson, the senior UEFA vice president, told the website Fotbollskanalen that he was not satisfied with the FIFA decision with a “sharper stance” expected. The Czechs said the FIFA compromise did not change their decision not to play Russia.
FIFA said it had engaged with the three associations and would remain in “close contact to seek to find appropriate and acceptable solutions together.”
Separately, the English Football Association announced that its national teams would refuse to play Russia for the “foreseeable future.” Russia has qualified for the Women’s European Championship which is being hosted by England in June.
The English FA said the decision was taken “out of solidarity with the Ukraine and to wholeheartedly condemn the atrocities being committed by the Russian leadership.”
The RFU’s president is Aleksandr Dyukov, who is chief executive of a subsidiary of state-owned energy giant Gazprom and also sits on the UEFA executive committee.
In France, the football federation president Noël Le Graët told the Le Parisien daily Sunday that he was leaning toward excluding Russia from the World Cup.
“The world of sport, and in particular football, cannot remain neutral,” said Le Graët, who sits on the ruling FIFA Council and has recently been a close ally of the governing body’s president, Gianni Infantino.
A strict reading of FIFA’s World Cup regulations would even make the Polish, Swedish and Czech federations liable to disciplinary action and having to pay fines and compensation if they wouldn’t play Russia.
In 1992, however, FIFA and UEFA removed Yugoslavia from its competitions following United Nations sanctions imposed when war broke out in the Balkans.
The FIFA Bureau, which is chaired by Infantino, includes UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin.
UEFA on Friday pulled the 2022 Champions League final from St. Petersburg, moving it to Paris, and said Russian and Ukrainian teams in its competitions must play home games in neutral countries. UEFA allowed Spartak Moscow to continue playing in the second-tier Europa League’s round of 16.
As Russia’s war on Ukraine entered a fourth day on Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin temporarily lost his most senior official position in world sports. The International Judo Federation cited “the ongoing war conflict in Ukraine” for suspending Putin’s honorary president status.
The Russian president is a keen judoka and attended the sport at the 2012 London Olympics.
There was an abrupt resignation on Sunday from the Russian who is president of the European Judo Union, with Sergey Soloveychik referencing the “heartache that we see the people in brotherly countries die” but backing his country.
“No one doubts that my heart belongs to judo,” he said. “But it is equally true that it belongs to my homeland, Russia. We, judoka, must always be loyal to our principles.”
In Putin’s other favorite sport, ice hockey, Latvian club Dinamo Riga withdrew Sunday from the Russian-owned and run Kontinental Hockey League citing the “military and humanitarian crisis.”
On Sunday, FINA announced the cancellation of the world junior swim titles which were scheduled from Aug. 23-28 in Kazan. FINA said it was looking for a replacement host for the event.
“FINA remains extremely concerned with the continuing war in Ukraine and following ongoing consultation with athletes and stakeholders from the aquatics family, FINA can now confirm that the 8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships and FINA will not be holding any future events in Russia if this grave crisis continues,” the FINA statement said.
___
AP Sports Writer Graham Dunbar in Geneva and Karel Janicek in Prague contributed to this report.
___
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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