Uefa has told Russia that the country’s bid to host the men’s European Championship has been rejected and that their team will be replaced by Portugal in the women’s tournament this summer, as Uefa took further measures in response to the war in Ukraine.
The European governing body said it was acting to ensure its tournaments had “smooth staging in a safe and secure environment for all”, and confirmed there would be no Russian sides competing in European club competitions next season.
Russia had made a shock, and many felt provocative, move in March when it expressed an interest in hosting the men’s European Championship in 2028 or 2032, despite being banned from international football. Responding on Monday , Uefa said it had rejected the submission as “not eligible”, citing article 16.02 of its regulations which states “each bidder shall ensure that it does not act in a manner that could bring Uefa … or European football into disrepute”.
With the women’s European Championship due to start on 6 July in England, Uefa confirmed Portugal would take part in the tournament, claiming the place vacated by Russia, who beat them in a qualifying playoff. Russia will not be able to qualify for next year’s women’s World Cup, their results from qualifying group E rendered null and void.
- Download the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhones or the Google Play store on Android phones by searching for 'The Guardian'.
- If you already have the Guardian app, make sure you’re on the most recent version.
- In the Guardian app, tap the yellow button at the bottom right, then go to Settings (the gear icon), then Notifications.
- Turn on sport notifications.
Uefa also took action against its club sides. No Russian team will take part in European competition next season. One immediate consequence is the Scottish Premiership champions this season will gain automatic qualification to Champions League group stages next season.
As a coda to the organisation’s various decrees, a spokesperson said Uefa would “remain on standby to convene further meetings to reassess the legal and factual situation as it evolves and adopt further decisions as necessary”.
