Tochilin: Restrictions on Russian sports must be lifted
Football expert Aleksandr Tochilin recently shared his views in an interview with "Euro-Football.ru" regarding FIFA President Gianni Infantino's opinions on the restrictions imposed on Russia and the possibility of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) lifting sanctions against Russian sports. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
The content of this interview was reported by euro-football.ru. According to Tochilin, there have been reports that at the IOC meeting held in Milan, the issue of lifting restrictions on Russia was discussed and a principled decision was made.
He expressed hope for the implementation of such a decision. He emphasized that the restriction of Russia from international sports arenas has been under discussion for a long time and that resolving this issue requires a political and social approach.
According to the expert, major competitions can continue without Russia, but the level of competition and intrigue will decrease. Tochilin regarded Gianni Infantino's statement about the need to ease sanctions against Russia as a natural trend.
He believes that there are double standards and biased approaches towards Russia. Additionally, he criticized decisions made contrary to the principles that sports should be free from politics.
Tochilin highlighted that decisions potentially made by the IOC could also affect FIFA and UEFA, and such an approach could serve as an example for other international organizations. He also noted the necessity of legally prohibiting the exclusion of teams from competitions for political reasons.
Tochilin acknowledged that FIFA might consider Russia's full return to international tournaments in the near future. However, he admitted that some opponents might refuse to play against Russian teams.
In such cases, he stressed the need for strict measures against rule violations. At the same time, he added that technical defeats would serve as a warning signal to other teams and that such actions would ultimately harm those who undertake them.
