MOSCOW (dpa-AFX) - The Russian Football Federation will discuss on Friday a possible withdrawal from UEFA and a switch to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). "The question on leaving UEFA is related to the decision of the European and world football federations (FIFA) on February 28, according to which Russian clubs and the national team were excluded from international competitions because of the situation in Ukraine," the state-run Tass news agency reported in this regard.
The decision excluded Russia from playoff matches for the 2022 World Cup, and the country was also left out of the draw for the 2024 European Championship. The national team has played three friendly matches since the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine began: Against Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. All three ex-Soviet republics are members of the AFC.
On the one hand, Moscow hopes that a defection will give its soccer teams more competitive practice again; on the other hand, such a move is intended to demonstrate that Russia is not politically isolated./bal/DP/mis
