The past few hours have been filled with controversy surrounding all Russian football teams following the ban set on them by both FIFA and UEFA, and it was only a matter of time before some of these teams spoke out regarding this decision.
The first of these teams to respond was the Russian National Team. The hosts of the 2018 FIFA World Cup hinted they will fight for their right to play in the 2022 FIFA World Cup after what they consider to be an unfair decision.
"We believe that this decision is contrary to the rules and principles of international competitions, as well as against the spirit of the sport. Its discriminatory nature will have an effect on a grat number of players, coaches, club staff members and national teams. Moreover, this will also be unfair to Russian and foreign fans, who should have their rights and interests protected by international sports entities," the Russian Football Union said in a press release.
A couple of hours later, Spartak Moscow issued a press release complaining about this decision. The Russian side was banned from the UEFA Europa League, where they were supposed to face RB Leipzig in the Round of 16.
The decision to exclude our team from Europa League is upsetting.
— FC Spartak Moscow (@fcsm_eng) February 28, 2022
We believe that sport, even in the most difficult times, should aim to build bridges, and not burn them.
We will focus on domestic competitions and hope for a speedy achievement of peace that everybody needs.
Chances of overturning these decisions seem to be a long-shot, but that does not mean that these Russian football teams will hesitate in doing so in weeks to come.
