UEFA brings back youth teams
Rummenigge and Watzke declare their yes for Russia
September 29, 2023, 10:06 a.m
Adults are responsible for the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, says UEFA – and is therefore deciding to allow the return of Russian youth national teams. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Hans-Joachim Watzke also voted yes. Both have now commented on this.
German football greats Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Hans-Joachim Watzke have defended the European Football Union’s highly controversial decision to return Russian junior teams to UEFA competitions. “Children are the victims of war. They are innocent and in need of help, they bear no responsibility for this war and they should not be punished additionally,” Rummenigge told the “Bild” newspaper. He voted yes “to allow them to take part in the game again.”
DFB Vice President Watzke is quoted by the “Bild” newspaper as saying: “This is definitely not a softening of our negative attitude towards Russia, on the contrary: the adult teams continue to be excluded. This is about children who have nothing for the hideous war and in whose lives no political decision-making took place.”
In addition, they would not fly under the Russian flag. “Hence this assessment, mind you in the knowledge that various conditions would still have to be met in order for things to be implemented,” said Borussia Dortmund’s club boss in his role as representative of the German Football Association. The DFB is reportedly discussing its reaction at today’s executive board meeting.
The UEFA Executive Committee justified the return on Tuesday by saying that young people should not be punished for actions “for which adults alone are responsible”. The ban on all Russian senior teams should continue to apply as long as the war of aggression in Ukraine continues. Competitions on Russian soil are also still excluded.
Nations such as England, Sweden, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland then went against UEFA and announced that their teams would not play against Russian teams. The German Football Association is currently silent on this question. The men’s U17 European Championships in Cyprus and the women’s U17 European Championships in Sweden will take place in 2024, with qualification beginning in October 2023.
Ukraine has asked UEFA to reconsider the decision and wants to boycott matches between its youth teams and Russia. The approach “tolerates Russia’s aggressive policy”. The International Olympic Committee (IOC), itself on an opening course towards Russia, had recommended that only individual athletes be readmitted.