The Russian Football Federation can switch from UEFA to the Asian Football Federation, a sports lawyer has said
Russian football teams can switch from European to Asian competitions without needing permission from FIFA, a sports lawyer has said while the Russian Football Federation is waiting to discover if it faces further penalties from the World Board due to the attack on Ukraine.
Russia’s football chiefs failed in an attempt by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to lift FIFA’s and UEFA’s suspensions of clubs and the national team, which were introduced after the conflict began in February.
CAS has not yet decided on the legal basis for the decision, which has almost put an end to Russia’s hopes of reaching the World Cup final in Qatar 2022, and reports suggest that the FIFA Council could expel or suspend the country at a meeting held. before the organization’s 72nd Congress in Doha on Thursday.
Russia would not need a FIFA permit to leave UEFA and join the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) because parts of its territories are in Asia, according to sports lawyer Anna Antseliovich.
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“If we were not in Asia, then we would need FIFA’s consent to join a regional association in the territory of the continent where the association is not located.” Anceliovich told Pawand added that otherwise FIFA and regional federations would not allow a transfer.
“So since Russia is in Asia, we do not need FIFA’s consent to join the Asian Football Confederation.”
Antseliovich pointed to the Israel Football Association, which was an AFC member from 1954 until it was expelled 20 years later because Arab and Muslim Confederates refused to play against Israel.
Israel played in FIFA competitions and rarely made appearances in matches with teams from UEFA, South America and Oceania.
The country was admitted to FIFA in 1992 and became a full member in 1994, and has played in UEFA club competitions and the European Championships since then.
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“No reason” to exclude Russia from FIFA because the decision is pending – officially
“[Russia’s] is such an exceptional case – it does not happen every day, not every year, in Anceliovich.
“There have probably only been a couple of such cases in history. The most famous is Israel’s transfer from the Asian Football Confederation to UEFA.”
Russia would compete in World Cup qualifiers with countries such as Iran, South Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia and Australia if it became part of the AFC, and could face the finals of the final against South American nations.
Russian clubs could take on teams from countries such as Uzbekistan, North Korea and Palestine in the Asian Champions League and AFC Cup.
The reigning Russian champions Zenit St. Petersburg played in the Champions League in a group that included Juventus, Chelsea and Malmö this season, and the other Russian Premier League team Spartak Moscow was expelled from the Europa League as part of the UEFA suspension.
2018 World Cup hosts Russia had been on their way to welcome Poland in their planned play-off semi-final on March 24, just to give their opponents a bye.
Poland is at home against Sweden on Tuesday to decide who will make it to the final. Both nations – as well as the Czech Republic, who lost in their semifinal against Sweden – had publicly refused to face Russia.
Russia’s leader Valeri Karpin spoke on Monday about his hope that his country would return to the international stage.