Tochilin: Russia may exit sports isolation

Football expert Aleksandr Tochilin recently commented in an interview on FIFA President Gianni Infantino's views regarding the lifting of the ban on Russian teams. This was reported by Zamin.uz.

He also spoke about the possibility that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) may soon lift all sanctions against Russia. This was reported by euro-football.ru.

According to Tochilin, important decisions were made at the IOC meeting held in Milan. In his opinion, political and clear decisions from Europe are necessary to end the isolation against Russia.

He also specifically noted that major sports competitions are losing their appeal without Russia. According to the expert, if the IOC lifts the sanctions, this decision will also affect other sports organizations.

In such a case, structures like FIFA and UEFA may also reconsider their decisions. Tochilin said that such changes align with the principle that sports should be free from politics.

Infantino has also stated that in the future, teams should be legally prohibited from being excluded for political reasons. Tochilin supported this view, emphasizing that sports and politics should be separated.

At the same time, there have been reports that FIFA may discuss the issue of returning Russia to international tournaments in April. Tochilin noted that such information is not spreading without reason and that the likelihood of Russia's return is high.

However, he acknowledged that some teams may refuse to play against Russia. In such cases, organizations should take measures according to their regulations and award technical defeats to rule violators.

According to the expert, technical defeats serve as a signal to others, helping to understand that such actions are pointless in sports.