European Commissioner Warns of Risks of Allowing Russian Athletes to Compete
Allowing Russian athletes to participate in international sports competitions has not only a sporting dimension but also political and security implications.
This was stated by European Commissioner for Youth, Culture, and Sport Glenn Micallef during a special debate in the European Parliament on the dangers of normalizing relations with Russia, including its participation in major cultural and sporting events, according toa Ukrinform correspondent.
“Russia continues to instrumentalize sports for political purposes. Recent decisions by organizations such as the International Water Sports Association to readmit Russia are not isolated incidents. We are seeing a trend, ranging from the International Paralympic Committee granting Russian athletes permission to compete to the International Olympic Committee changing its position and even calls by FIFA President Giovanni Infantino to allow Russia back into world soccer,” the EU commissioner noted.
“The idea is to set a precedent,” he warned.
Meanwhile, he said, Ukrainian athletes are training under rocket fire, “with destroyed infrastructure, and in some cases, with the loss of lives.”
“Our position is clear. My position is clear. It’s not about the athlete’s passport. The passport has nothing to do with this. The point is that sport must never, just as it never has in the past, be used for political propaganda,” the EU official emphasized.
“Flags, anthems, and uniforms are not neutral,” Micallef noted. “Allowing them is a political choice.”
He also highlighted the real security concerns for host countries if Russian athletes participate in the competitions.
Addressing the governing bodies of sports organizations, the EU commissioner stated: “These decisions are not made in a vacuum. And they have political and security implications.”
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As a reminder, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) is preparing changes to the rules regarding yellow card suspensions for the 2026 World Cup.
Earlier, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) reached an agreement in principle to increase the prize fund and bonuses for participants in the 2026 World Cup. The decision is linked to the expansion of the tournament and the growth in revenue from commercial and television rights.
