Russian football was placed in difficult conditions in the spring. The clubs were expelled from European competition, and the national team was not allowed to play the play-offs for reaching the World Cup in Qatar. Then the team of Valery Karpin looked, if not a favorite, then certainly had a good chance of getting to the world championship. Almost six months have passed since then, and the situation has not changed. The International Football Federation (FIFA) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) have made it clear that they do not plan to return Russia to their family. Our appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) was also rejected.
Everyone forgot about the World Cup. But after all, the selection for the European Championship – 2024 should begin soon. And here are the first signals that everything may not be so bad. The Russian team was allowed to play with the team of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a very strong European team. People like Edin Dzeko and Miralem Pjanic play there, for example. And the fact that the Bosnians will come to St. Petersburg speaks volumes. The meeting will take place not somewhere on a neutral field, but in the northern capital of Russia.
Moreover, it was the Bosnians who were the first to officially announce this. Obviously they couldn’t do it without consulting UEFA. It would be just stupid. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, they certainly understand what the match with Russia in St. Petersburg could theoretically threaten them with. They had no reason to agree to this if they had not received the go-ahead from UEFA. Even if they were offered a fabulous fee for this game in the RFU, it would still make no sense in the future. Too many problems.
But in UEFA, for some reason, obviously, they did not create obstacles. Yes, formally friendly matches are not within the competence and responsibility of the organization, but they still understand that in the case of Russia, the Bosnians consulted with UEFA. By the way, local media have already begun to write about this. UEFA confirmed to the Bosnians that they have nothing against it.
As a result, it turns out that the European team will calmly play with Russia on its territory. Is this not a signal that the isolation may soon end? Or at least take on a different shape. It is possible to allow the option in which our team will be allowed to qualify for the European Championship in a neutral status – without a flag and an anthem. It is also possible that official matches will have to be played on a neutral ground, say, in Turkey or Serbia. This, by the way, was considered before, when the issue of holding play-offs for the 2022 World Cup was decided.
In addition to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Russian team will also play with Kyrgyzstan in September and with Iran in November. The meeting with the Iranians will be very serious, because this team will take part in the World Cup for the third time in a row. The team of Valery Karpin squeezed the maximum out of the current situation and managed to find very worthy opponents. Perhaps this message was seen in UEFA and will make an adequate decision. Russia may be allowed to football Euro 2024. The first signal has already been given.
Alexander Govorov