The Russian Football Union announced today that it wants its teams to return to international competition, after Russia had previously expressed a desire to leave the European Union to play and join its Asian counterpart.
“We are already working on the option of a speedy return to UEFA competitions,” said Russian President Alexander Dyukov.
“It is important for us to participate in the qualifying matches of the 2026 World Cup,” he added.
Dyukov said the Russian Federation was proposing to set up a working group to consult with the European Union in an attempt to restart relations.
According to Dyukov, after the holidays a working group will be created, the work of which should be completed by April 1.
He confirmed that a preliminary agreement had been reached with the European Football Association on the establishment of a working group.
The President of the Russian Federation did not rule out that Russia would seek membership in the Asian Football Confederation at a later stage, saying in this regard: “Our mission is to work on returning our clubs and national team to the official We will work on the option of returning to the UEFA tournament as soon as possible “. As soon as possible. If we understand that this is not possible, we will choose the option of working on the transition to the Asian Football Confederation. “
And vice-president of the Russian Football Union Denis Solovyov on December 23 announced that the decision on the withdrawal of the Russian Football Association from the European Union and the transition to the AFC would be made before December 31, 2022. The background to preventing Russian teams and national teams from participating in the tournament European competitions.
It is noteworthy that the International Federation “FIFA” and the European Football Association “UEFA” from February 28 suspended the participation of Russian teams and clubs in international competitions due to the situation in Ukraine.
The Russian national team was unable to take part in the qualification for the 2022 World Cup and in the European Nations League competition, and will also miss the qualifying round for the 2024 European Nations Cup.
Source: agencies