UEFA has decided to exclude Russia from the 2024 Euros qualifying draw, maintaining its ban on the country following its invasion of Ukraine.
The governing body of European football has, however, included Belarus in the draw although UEFA said that they cannot be placed in the same group as Ukraine. Belarus is seen as a key staging area for the Russian invasion.
FIFA and UEFA banned Russia and its clubs from all international and domestic competitions in February, ending their hopes of playing in the World Cup in Qatar later this year and now the Euros seem to be out of the picture as well.
In July, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed appeals filed by the Russian football federation and four Russian clubs against FIFA and UEFA’s decision.
UEFA confirmed Russia would not be involved in the event after its Executive Committee met in Hvar, Croatia and approved the procedure for the qualifying draw, which will take place on Oct. 9 in Frankfurt.
Germany is hosting the European competition in 2024.
Its decision comes at a time when the world is slowly trying to establish pathways for the return of Russian athletes to sporting circles. There still remains friction among different factions on how they will go about their return.
For now, sporting bodies seem to be leaning towards inclusion in individual sports rather than team sports and UEFA’s decision is another example.
