September 20 – Host nation Germany has asked UEFA to kick Russian ally Belarus out of the 2024 Euro qualifying competition.
In a letter to UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has also sought the suspension of Russian and Belarus officials from UEFA itself, according to a report in Der Spiegel confirmed by a ministry spokesman.
UEFA has so far excluded only Russia in the wake of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. But Faeser said that “not only Russia, which is waging war in violation of international law, but also Belarus, as a major supporter of the Russian leadership, should be excluded from all international football matches and tournaments”.
The sporting world must “live up to its responsible role and take a united stand against this form of disregard for human rights”, she added.
The request came three weeks before Germany hosts the qualifying draw in Frankfurt.
UEFA and FIFA banned all Russian teams from international competitions in February within days of the military invasion of Ukraine. The following month, Uefa barred Belarussian teams from hosting games on its territory but stopped short of a full competitive ban.
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