Why has UEFA backtracked on its plan to allow Russia to play in the Under-17 European Championship?

UEFA has been forced to backtrack on is plan to reintegrate Russian youth teams into international competitions after 12 of its 55 members threatened to boycott the Under-17 European Championship if Russia were dropped into one of the qualifying groups, which have already been drawn.

What was UEFA’s proposal regarding Russia?

European soccer’s governing body were studying the idea of allowing Russia to compete without using its flag, national anthem or official kit, but the proposal has been withdrawn after a UEFA Executive Committee meeting.

Karl-Erik Nilsson, UEFA’s first vice president of UEFA, who resigned from his role as chair of the Swedish Sports Confederation after initially endorsing Russia being re-admitted, has performed his own U-turn, highlighting the stance held by the Swedish Soccer Federation (SvFF), which he is the former president of. “I was ready to underline Sweden’s position on the issue if it had been raised at the meeting. Now, it has been withdrawn without being discussed, which means that the view held by the SvFF and Swedish sport will also apply in the future, which I am glad about.”

Why did UEFA consider reintegrating Russian youth teams?

UEFA has now confirmed that Russia will not participate in qualification for the Under-17 Euros, abandoning plans to potentially incorporate the country back into its competitions, one way or another. The Executive Committee had argued that Russia could be allowed to compete in youth tournaments under the pretext that young people were not to blame for the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine and a number of other soccer federations, including all of the Nordic countries, made their opposition to UEFA proposal’s clear, with the general argument being there had been no significant changes with regard to the war.