UEFA says abandoning plans to readmit Russian under-17 teams

NYON, Switzerland — European football’s governing body UEFA said on Tuesday it had abandoned plans to readmit Russian under-17 teams into the youth European Championship next year.

In September, UEFA reinstated Russian youth teams to its competitions, having suspended the country’s senior sides due to the invasion of Ukraine. UEFA argued that youth players should not have to pay the price for the actions of adults. That decision sparked anger in Kyiv, which said in response it would boycott all UEFA competitions featuring Russian teams.

But UEFA now says it was too difficult logistically to reintegrate Russian under-17 teams and the issue was removed from the agenda of a meeting of the body’s Executive Committee.

“The agenda point was withdrawn as no technical solution to allow Russian teams to play could be found,” UEFA said. Kyiv thanked UEFA for scrapping the plans and promised to “fight for the continuation of the isolation” of Russia. FIFA, world football’s governing body, followed in UEFA’s footsteps earlier this month by announcing it too would reinstate Russia’s under-17 teams. FIFA did not immediately comment when asked for its response following UEFA’s decision to scrap its plans.