Bulykin: Russian sports must return to the international arena
Football expert Dmitry Bulykin shared his views on the ban imposed on Russian athletes and the possibility of its cancellation. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
In an interview with the publication "Euro-Football.Ru," he spoke about FIFA President Gianni Infantino's statements on this issue and the likelihood of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) lifting the sanctions. This was reported by euro-football.ru.
Bulykin emphasized that the issue of returning Russian athletes to international competitions is being discussed for 2028. He noted that football should not be excluded from this process and stressed the need to expedite this matter as much as possible.
He also cited the example of Estonian and Lithuanian youth teams refusing to play against Belarus and suffering technical defeats. According to Bulykin, such matters should be resolved by proving strength on the field.
Speaking about the possibility of the IOC lifting sanctions, Bulykin cautiously mentioned that FIFA and UEFA might also follow this path. At the same time, he stressed the importance of considering the differences between football and the Olympic Games.
Bulykin added that returning to competitions in both directions is important for Russian sports. Referring to FIFA President Infantino calling the exclusion of Russian teams "meaningless," Bulykin said that many statements have been made on this topic, but so far there are no clear practical decisions.
Nevertheless, he expressed hope for a change in the situation in the near future and for Russian athletes to return to the international arena. According to Bulykin, football should be independent of politics.
He announced his support for the initiative to legally prohibit the exclusion of sports teams from competitions due to political reasons. He also emphasized that returning youth and women's national teams to competitions would be an important step, but allowing all teams simultaneously is the most appropriate approach.
