UEFA hopes to admit Russian clubs to international tournaments in 2025
Zoran Lakovic, director of the Union of European Football Associations' (UEFA) national associations department, expressed hope on February 2 that Russian clubs and national teams will return to international competitions in 2025.
"Sport should unite, not divide people. It should remain completely independent of political influence. Unfortunately, in 2025 we do not see this with regard to Russian athletes. I hope that during this year Russian sport will finally return to its former place - the peak of European sport," he said at an extraordinary conference of the Russian Football Union (RFU).
Lakovic added that the RFU has always been respected in the European Football Union. According to him, the Russian side has earned this respect through "hard work and commitment to the values" of soccer.
He also noted the "excellent relationship" between the RFU and UEFA, which is overseen by Maxim Mitrofanov, the Russian union's general secretary. Lakovic said ties are at a high level despite external difficulties.
Earlier, on January 31, the chairman of the Swedish Hockey Association and IIHF board member Anders Larsson said that the Swedish National Team would not boycott the matches of the World Championship and the 2026 Olympic Games in case the Russian national hockey team returns to international tournaments. He noted that the trend for the return of the Russians is obvious.
Before that, on January 27, it became known that the Russian youth national soccer team was not allowed to participate in the qualifying stage of the European championship in 2027. Thus, the team will not play at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, participants in the soccer tournament at which will be determined by the results of Euro-2027.
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