'Moral degenerate': Ukraine's FM blasts FIFA president over plans for Russia
Photo: Andrii Sybiha, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called FIFA President Gianni Infantino a moral degenerate over his desire to bring Russia back into international football in his post on X.
Sybiha reminded Infantino that 679 Ukrainian girls and boys will never be able to play football again because they were killed by Russia.
"And it keeps killing more while moral degenerates suggest lifting bans, despite Russia’s failure to end its war," the minister stated.
He also stressed that future generations will view such intentions as "a shame reminiscent of the 1936 Olympics."
Russia’s suspension from world football
After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian national teams and clubs were suspended from all official competitions under FIFA and UEFA.
In particular, Russia missed the 2022 World Cup and was excluded from the qualification process for the 2026 World Cup.
However, recently, FIFA President Gianni Infantino stated that ways should be sought to return Russian teams to international competitions.
Specifically, he suggested changing the organization’s statutes to prevent countries from being suspended for political reasons.
The Ukrainian Association of Football opposed any easing of restrictions for Russia, emphasizing that the ban on Russian teams remains an effective tool of international pressure.
