banned and confined to friendly matches, what becomes of the Russian team?

Tanked left side, shaved head and tattooed arms, Fedor Kudryashov is pushed to goal against his camp by Croatia, on the muddy lawn of Split. He and his teammates do not know that this defeat (1-0), which occurred on November 14, 2021 as part of the qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup, will be Russia's last official match for a long time. The following February 24, Ukraine was invaded on the orders of Vladimir Putin. Four days later, FIFA and UEFA announced the suspension of Russian national teams and clubs from all their competitions. Identical sanctions apply in basketball and volleyball.

The Russian men's team is therefore not playing at the end of the World Cup qualifiers or the play-offs for which it was already qualified. She does not take part in the Euro 2024 draw and is also excluded from the Nations League. A decision “in contraction with the spirit of sport, clearly detrimental to a very large number of athletes, coaches, club and national team staff, and especially to millions of Russian and international fans”denounces its Football Federation.

Matches against Cuba, Iraq or Vietnam

From ? It's emptiness. Russia did not replay until September 22, 2022, a friendly match against Kyrgyzstan. In three years, it has played 11 friendly matches, mainly against neighbors (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, etc.) or minor nations (Iraq, Cuba, Vietnam, etc.). “The Federation tries to find the strongest possible opponents, but this does not always work for political reasons”enlightens us Konstantin Alekseev, head of the football department of the Russian newspaper Sport-Express. Also because, during international sequences, most of the selections have official matches.

Brutal fall for Russia, quarter-finalist of the 2018 World Cup that it had organized, and which was to be a turning point in the country's image. “I hope you will have an unforgettable experience, not only by following the matches of your favorite team but also by discovering Russia”welcomed Putin.

A match against the Vagankovo ​​cemetery team would be more fun.

Yuri Gavrilov, former Soviet international on the match awaiting Russia against Brunei.

This year, Russia has only played three matches. She was planning to play a fourth on October 11 against Pakistan, who had to cancel due to lack of time to prepare and travel to Moscow. Tanzania was also on the program. She should finally face Brunei this Friday in Krasnodar, before continuing with Syria. Brunei announced that this will be their B team made up of semi-professional players, “the main team being on vacation”. “A match against the Vagankovo ​​cemetery team would be more fun”quipped Yuri Gavrilov, a 71-year-old former Soviet international.

The “Sbornaïa” (“the national team” in Russian) was, however, able to count on reassurance last March from Serbia, the only European country not to have imposed sanctions on Russia since its invasion of Ukraine. A friendly match in Moscow ended in a big victory for the locals (4-0). Two days later, a friendly match in Belgrade saw Red Star and Zenit Saint Petersburg face off. Before the match, players from both teams mingled for a group photo with the flags of the two countries and a sign reading “Together!”

Attempt at reintegration in 2023 and boycott of European countries

“It's difficult not to be able to compete, but we still have friendly matches and we have to give our best during these matches, commented AS Monaco player Aleksandr Golovin last year. Of course we would like to compete in the biggest competitions, but for the moment, we must always try to do our best in these conditions. The attacking midfielder wore the captain's armband last March. He is injured this month.

The selection's starting goalkeeper Matvey Safonov, today at PSG, was also not selected. Neither does Le Havre midfielder Daler Kuzyaev, who scored against Vietnam in September. Russia says it does not see the point in summoning all those operating abroad for such a weak issue. The problem is that she's not about to get back into the game. The only sign of a possible reintegration of Russian football into a major competition was nipped in the bud.

In September 2023, UEFA reinstated the Russian under-17 team under a neutral banner. “Children should not be punished for actions for which adults are solely responsible.”estimated the body in a press release. Several nations including England, Poland, Sweden and Denmark have announced that they will boycott the competitions concerned if the reinstatement becomes effective. UEFA has backpedaled. The Russian Federation, still a member of UEFA, for a time considered leaving to join the Asian Confederation (AFC).

“Double standards” between Russia and Israel

In Russia, football fans “regret that the authorities are too politicized and apply double standards to different countries which find themselves in similar situations”enlightens Konstantin Alekseev. Without naming him, the journalist refers to Israel, accused of “crimes against humanity of extermination, murder, forcible transfer, acts of torture and inhuman and cruel treatment” by a UN commission of inquiry last June.

Unlike the Russian case, neither Israel's national teams nor its clubs have been sanctioned by football authorities. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, its athletes did not have to compete under a neutral banner. In August, Amnesty International also denounced the “double standards of Western governments”. Among the players and managers of Russian football, we demonstrate “unity to overcome negative factors”summarizes Konstantin Alekseev. Whether it is a men's or women's selection, the youth or the A, the “Sbornaïa” (“the national team” in Russian) still seems far from enjoying European and world games.

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