European football chiefs will seek to quell a rift over the ending of the blanket ban on Russian teams by highlighting how Ukraine’s government ended its outright opposition to their athletes competing against Russians appearing as neutrals, Sky News understands.
The unexpected plan to allow under-17s squads to play again would end Russia’s complete football exile that was imposed when Vladimir Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The UEFA decision this week sparked outrage among some European nations, including England and Ukraine threatening to boycott matches against Russia.
But within UEFA there is a belief there are inconsistencies in the opposition.
Sky News previously revealed dissent inside the private UEFA executive committee meeting with three of the five vice presidents of the governing body understood to have gone against the motion and their president, Aleksander Ceferin.
Sources said opposing voices – including former Manchester United chief executive David Gill – were permitted as the 20-person committee took the decision to pave the way for men’s and women’s national teams from Russia to participate in qualifying for the under-17s European Championships from next month.
It led to the Football Association announcing England would refuse to play against Russian teams – a stance backed by the UK government as one of Ukraine’s closest allies.
Ukraine’s football chiefs wrote to national associations across Europe on Thursday, urging them to boycott all matches against Russians as a nominally neutral side.
But the UEFA leadership is understood to be privately pointing out to football officials inconsistencies in the opposition to letting Russia back into youth championships.
They are highlighting how the Ukrainian sports ministry softened its stance in July – effectively ending the ban on athletes participating at most events where Russians were competing.
The UEFA decision has placed a spotlight on youth competitions that usually lack profile – with no major television deals or financial rewards.
UEFA is drawing up conditions of entry that would ensure children are no longer punished for the actions of adults as long as the Russian flag and national colours are not used.
The immediate heat could be taken out of the fraught situation if this is not achieved in time for Russia to enter qualifying next month for the U17s Euros.
Women’s event host Sweden said it would oppose a Russian team that qualified being allowed into the country next May to play.
But Sky News previously reported the highest-ranking senior vice president of UEFA, former Swedish federation president Karl-Erik Nilsson, did not join the group abstaining in the vote and voted for the partial return of Russian teams.
Mr Nilsson (left, pictured in 2019 with Aleksander Ceferin) voted for the change
Mr Nilsson told Swedish outlet Fotbollskanalen on Friday he did not “recognise” the “description” of his role in the decision by Sky, while not denying how he voted or commenting directly on that.
He did state that the ban on senior Russian teams would stay in place while the war continues – reflecting the position of UEFA advanced by Mr Ceferin.
The leading opposition in the meeting came from Mr Gill, along with Welsh official Laura McAllister and former Polish federation head and World Cup player and manager Zbigniew Boniek.
UEFA has declined to comment on private discussions.
There was no response from the Ukrainian government or football association.
This story originally appeared on Skynews
