Russian sports organisations face heavy toll of mounting sporting sanctions

Russia must face the realities of mounting sporting sanctions led by suspension from all UEFA and FIFA competitions, including World Cup play-offs.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has led the European and world governing bodies to impose temporary expulsion from all club and national fixtures.

A joint statement from the governing bodies on Monday read: “Following the initial decisions adopted by the FIFA Council and the UEFA Executive Committee, which envisaged the adoption of additional measures, FIFA and UEFA have today decided together that all Russian teams, whether national representative teams or club teams, shall be suspended from participation in both FIFA and UEFA competitions until further notice.

FIFA/UEFA suspend Russian clubs and national teams from all competitions▶️ https://t.co/Q2htzW3W9z pic.twitter.com/LFo1bUtqmm

— FIFA Media (@fifamedia) February 28, 2022

“These decisions were adopted today by the Bureau of the FIFA Council and the Executive Committee of UEFA, respectively the highest decision-making bodies of both institutions on such urgent matters.

“Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine. Both presidents hope that the situation in Ukraine will improve significantly and rapidly so that football can again be a vector for unity and peace amongst people.”

Alisher Usmanov, who has sponsorship links to Everton, has had his assets frozen as part of sanctions imposed by the European Union.

The Uzbek-born billionaire’s USM Holdings sponsors the Toffees’ training ground, with an initial five-year deal announced in 2017, and has an option on naming rights for their new stadium – a deal worth £30million to the Merseyside club.

European football bosses UEFA