Could Russian football be brought out of the cold after Donald Trump's comments?

The rhetoric about the prospect of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia has been taken with the last few days.

At the beginning of this week, US President Donald Trump proposed that Ukraine was responsible for the invasion of Russia to her country. Then Trump called Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky as a “dictator without elections”.

It is important to note that Russia has no doubt about starting war by entering Ukraine, and Zelensky was democratically chosen in 2019. The elections were to take place in 2024, but were suspended due to the invasion according to war law.

But the US president's comments started a discussion in sports about Russia when a peace agreement is made. How would that happen? And how far have you returned from potentially international football?

The athlete Answer the most important questions …

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What happened after the war broke out?

In February 2022, the global FIFA published the football management committee and the UEFA, the management committee for Europe, a joint explanation to announce that they had suspended all Russian clubs and national teams from participating in their competitions “to the further”.

“Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all people affected in Ukraine,” added the explanation. “Both presidents (from FIFA and UEFA) hope that the situation in Ukraine will improve considerably and quickly so that football can be a vector for unity and peace among people again.”

The International Olympic Committee also announced that Russian and Belarusian athletes under the banner of “individual neutral athletes” at the Olympic Games in Paris would have to compete in Ukraine due to the continuing war war. In the 2024 summer games, only 15 athletes from Russia took part in events, including tennis, canoeing, cycling, gymnastics and swimming.

The Russian football teams – at the club and the national team level – have not played in UEFA's European competitions since their lock.

The suspension remains and the UEFA said that there were no discussions about the return of Russia. “This matter was not raised for the time being and we have no comment,” said Uefa.

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What was said?

Although the UEFA said after football in 2025.

“Sport should unite that people do not share,” said Lakovic, as of Izvestia, a Russian broadsheet. “It should remain completely independent of the political influence.

“Unfortunately, in 2025 we do not see this in relation to Russian athletes. I hope that the Russian sport will finally return to its previous place this year: the highlight of European sport. “

On Thursday, Lord Sebastian Coe, the President of the World Athletics and a candidate, said the next President of the IOC was agreed and a peace agreement.

“If we come to a situation – and I hope that we do it – where we have a peace agreement and the satisfaction of both sides affects, it is much better to have people in their sport than to sit outside”, said Lord Coe.

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What led to the suspension of Russia?

Interestingly, the RFU is not actually suspended – they are still part of UEFA and FIFA. It is the country's soccer teams that were suspended.

After the illegal invasion of Russia in February 2022, the European clubs and national teams quickly made it clear that they would refuse to play against their Russian colleagues.

FIFA's first answer was that Russia could continue to play under the name “Football Union of Russia” and that without the Russian flag or national anthem is present at international games, just so that they can change the course quickly and join us with UEFA All competitions can ban.

This was supported by the arbitration tribunal for Sport (CAS), which decided in favor of FIFA and UEFA when the RFU made a calling against its suspension.

Russia was supposed to organize the Champions League final in May 2022, only so that this was moved to Paris by UEFA.

In 2023, the UEFA plans announced that the U-17-UND-17-Youth Russia be resumed in order to play in the European Youth Championship of the following year. After a significant setback from member associations, including the English Football Association, UEFA is switched back.

“As an English FA, we spoke very clearly 18 months ago: We will not play in a category in an age group in the category as long as there is a war,” said Fa -chairwoman Debbie Hewitt in October 2023. “We felt very strong in it. This is a position we keep. “

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Is there a process that has to be followed so that the Russian football team returns?

Yes, the UEFA (Exco) Executive Committee would have to sanction it in Europe. Article 27 of UEFA's statutes notes that decisions are “made in the elections and voices if they have to be supported by more than half of the valid votes that are given by the voters present”. When the vote ends with a tie, Aleksander Ceferin, the President of UEFA, gives the decisive vote.

The Exco consists of Ceferin and up to 19 other members, 16 of whom are elected by the UEFA Congress, two by the European Club Association and another by the European leagues. All members have the same voting rights.

The Exco currently has 18 members, which means that 10 for Russia would have to return to international football.

One of the Exco members is Aleksandr Dyukov, the President of the RFU and chairman of the Russian oil company Gazprom Neft, a subsidiary of the state Gazprom. Dyukov can still take part in Exco -Meetings.

From the FIFA perspective, if Uefas Exco has already ratified the return of Russia to his club competitions and its international football, the FIFA Council would probably stand in the way of returning. These decisions are made at the Confederation level, and the FIFA council often follows them in principle. The FIFA Council, which consists of 37 members, has no representative from Russia.

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Could Russia play at the 2026 World Cup?

Since they are not involved in the qualification players for the tournament, it is extremely unlikely that they could participate in this late level, especially since the CAS decision is still standing.

The threat from legal disputes from other member associations would also be very real if Russia is only likely to play in the World Cup – which is organized by Canada, Mexico and the USA without qualifying.

It is more likely when England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland play together in the European European Championship, which is organized by England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland.

The RFU considered to join the UEFA after it was suspended by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), but in December 2023 the RFU unanimously voted against the proposal.

In view of the World Cup qualification of the AFCs, in conjunction with time, how long it would take to change the confederations, there is no chance that they join the AFC and are on this for the World Cup next year Qualify wisely.

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Would a Peace Agreement enable Russians to re -invest in the Premier League clubs?

After the invasion of Ukraine in Russia, the British government Roman Abramovich described as a “pro-Kreml-oligarch” and listed him as one of several Russians who were sanctioned, which forced him to sell Chelsea Football Club.

At the moment there is neither a single Russian footballer in the Premier League, nor has a top club sold a player to Russia since the beginning of the war. The Premier League made its six-year contract with Match TV, a Russian broadcaster that was to begin at the beginning of the 2022-23 season.

Whether Russians could buy a top side is much more nuanced than a simple yes or no.

A Russian person who was not sanctioned by the British government can theoretically still buy a Premier League or the English Football League club – and they could do so despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.

In order for this to happen, you still have to pass the test of the Premier League and the directors test (OADT). The league updated its rules for the OADT after Abramovich had to sell Chelsea, and now explained that a person would fail if they “restricted a British sanctions”.

If it is a Russian unit that tries to buy an association, the Handbook of the Premier League says that they would not exist if “she or one of your directors, civil servants or employees are the subject of British sanctions”.

(Toptoto: Russia celebrate at the 2018 World Cup against Croatia. From Laurence Griffiths about Getty Images)