The Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF) has appealed to the Union of European Football Associations regarding recently discovered facts of illegal integration of clubs from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine into the Russian league. Earlier, it became known that the so-called "Shakhtar" from the "DPR" was registered in the Russian football league.
UNN reports, citing the press service of the Ukrainian Association of Football and Russian media.
Details
Recently, further facts of the illegal integration of football clubs from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine into Russia's domestic competitions have been discovered. In this regard, the UAF sent an official letter to UEFA. The letter states the fact of illegal integration of clubs from the temporarily occupied territories into the Russian football system.
The case of a club from temporarily occupied Donetsk is highlighted.
As it became known earlier, a club from temporarily occupied Donetsk called "Shakhtar" received the "right" from Russia to be registered to participate in the second league of the Russian championship from 2026. According to information published in Russian sources, the so-called "Shakhtar" can play its home matches in Russian-occupied Crimea.
According to Russian sources, simultaneously with "Shakhtar" from occupied Donetsk, other clubs from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine may appear in one of the lower leagues. These are "Fregat" from Kherson region and Luhansk "Zorya". The issue of the possible participation of these clubs in the Russian championship is being worked out, Russian media write.
Thus, the Russian Football Union and Russian state bodies "continue to illegally integrate Ukrainian clubs into their domestic competitions." All this is despite the norms of international law, the fundamental principles of UEFA, and direct UEFA decisions regarding the status of Ukrainian clubs.
Recall
In 2024, FIFA responded to the UAF's appeal regarding the incorrect depiction of the map of Ukraine without Crimea. The organization stated that the map was created by an external contractor and promised not to allow similar errors.
UEFA paid almost 11 million euros to Russian football clubs after the full-scale invasion, despite their exclusion from European competitions. Ukrainian clubs did not receive similar funds due to the "zone of military operations."