The Russian Football Union reaffirmed its desire to see Russian groups return to worldwide competitors on Friday following its decision not to leave UEFA and seek subscription with Asias football confederation instead.European footballs governing body, UEFA, banned Moscow from competitors after President Vladimir Putin attacked Ukraine in February.
In spite of Russias mooted desertion of UEFA, a Friday conference of the Russian Football Unions executive committee decided against making a switch to Asia.
We are indeed considering the option of returning to UEFA competitors as soon as possible, stated Alexander Dyukov, president of the Russian Football Union.
It is very important for us to take part in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The Russian Football Union was proposing the establishment of a group to conduct assessments with UEFA in an effort to resume ties, said Dyukov.
He did not eliminate that Russiacould look for membership with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) at a later stage.As part of the UEFA ban, Russiahas been omitted from the qualifying draw for Euro 2024 and will not participate in upcoming qualifying matches beginning next March.Russia has actually also been banned from international football competitors by FIFA, barring it from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar which ended with a triumph for Argentina.The Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has turned down Russias interest overturn the FIFA and UEFA bans.The choice to leave UEFA and join AFC would have a share of effects-- primarily monetary ones-- for Russian clubs, especially those formerly associated with top-division European competitors, such as the Champions League.Yevgeny Giner, the president of CSKA Moscow, among Russias best-known football clubs, cautioned in a current interview with the day-to-day Sport-Express that we require to take into consideration the huge distinction in the monetary component and the status of possible worldwide matches as part of the Asian leagues.
We will actually have to start from zero, he stated.
Therefore, maybe we need to wait on a go back to huge European football, Giner added.