Russia prepared to leave UEFA and join AFC

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Russia soccer teams are reportedly considering playing in Asia after several bans of European competitions.

The Russian Football Union (RFU) will hold an executive meeting on Friday to discuss the possibility of leaving UEFA and joining its Asian counterpart, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

According to ESPN, the move comes after FIFA and UEFA suspended all Russian clubs and national teams from competitive football action in February following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

With the ban still in place, RFU officials believe that joining the AFC would be advantageous because the Asian governing body is more ‘welcoming’ to Russian clubs.

In response, government official Roman Teryushkov stated:

“In the current geopolitical realities, the presence of the RFU in UEFA contradicts Russia’s national interests,” State Duma deputy Roman Teryushkov told Sports.Ru. “It is impossible to build sports friendships with countries that are hostile to us and with constant prodding from the West as a whole.”

On December 23rd, a meeting was held in Moscow to discuss this proposal. According to sources, the executive committee will make a final decision by Friday.

UEFA is to be keeping a close eye on the situation in order to gain clarity on Russia’s position. The two have a tumultuous history, as evidenced by the fact that the 2022 Champions League final. Which later shifted from St. Petersburg to Paris.

Russia will be the first country to leave UEFA, if everything goes as planned. The AFC has previously accepted members from other confederations, with Australia joining in 2006 after leaving the Oceania Football Confederation.

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