Bulykin: Russian football must exit sanctions faster
Football expert Dmitriy Bulykin shared his views on the sanctions imposed on Russian sports and their impact on football. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
He commented on FIFA President Gianni Infantino's statement calling the restrictions against Russia "meaningless." According to Bulykin, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is currently discussing the possibility of lifting the restrictions on Russian sports in the near future, which could also affect football.
Bulykin mentioned that he has heard about plans to reinstate Russian athletes in competitions by 2028. He emphasized the need to carry out this process as quickly as possible.
At the same time, he noted that some teams refusing to play against the Belarus national team is a negative signal. According to the expert, sports issues should be resolved on the field, while mutual exclusions and bureaucratic obstacles only complicate the situation further.
Bulykin recalled the case in European football where Estonia and Lithuania's youth teams were given technical defeats for refusing to play against the Belarus team, adding that such decisions might help solve the problem. He also stated that if FIFA and UEFA take a firm stance, the practice of some teams refusing to play to exert pressure would be ineffective.
The expert stressed that even if the IOC lifts the sanctions, this will not automatically apply to football, as the Olympic movement and football have their own specific mechanisms and decision-making systems.
According to Bulykin, it is very important for athletes to return to competitions in both areas. He supported FIFA President Infantino's opinion that banning athletes from competitions due to politics should be legally prohibited.
Bulykin hopes that the football ban on Russia will not be prolonged. He stated that it is necessary to first reinstate the youth and women's national teams in competitions, but the most appropriate approach is to return all teams simultaneously.
At the same time, he noted that it would be difficult for this process to be completed by 2026, but there is hope for good results. Source: euro-football.ru.
