Mederbek Sydykov / Photo: © Kyrgyz Football Union
The Kyrgyz Football Union has not received bans from FIFA and UEFA on holding a friendly match with the Russian national team, the head of the Kyrgyz Union, Mederbek Sydykov, told Match TV.
The match between the national teams of Russia and Kyrgyzstan will be held on September 24 in Bishkek. Watch the live broadcast from 17:00 (Moscow time) on the Match TV channel and the matchtv.ru website.
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– We have friendly relations with the RFU. Through some people, we learned that the Russian team is looking for an opponent, we also needed sparring, because we entered the Asian Cup and we need a strong opponent to be higher in the rating, from Europe. We talked and agreed on interests.
– Didn’t it bother you that the Russian team was excluded from all tournaments?
– Discussed this with AFC, FIFA, UEFA. They said that there is no ban – you can play.
– FIFA put pressure on some federations …
“Everything was fine with us, no one put pressure on us. We follow the interests of all organizations, fulfill all requirements.
What is the status of this match? Does FIFA recognize it?
— While the status is official. It is on the FIFA calendar as a rating. Authorization received. But tomorrow we’ll see what happens. Coaches want to see the players, if the substitutions are over the norm, then the game will be unofficial.
– With whom did you speak from the RFU?
— Before signing the contract, we talked with Dyukov, and earlier the vice presidents talked. From the RFU it was Alaev.
— Who from FIFA is invited?
– Due to the situation in the country and the tight deadlines, we did not officially have time to call anyone.
– Was there a threat to disrupt the match due to the situation at the border?
– Yes. But just three days ago we signed an agreement to hold the match. And before that there were threats, it depended on the situation. There was no ban from the government of Kyrgyzstan, we discussed the issue of the match and decided to play.
– Will there be cooperation with the RFU in the future?
We’ll see after the match. And there is no talk of a return game yet.
– What do you think about the entry of the RFU into the AFC?
“Only time will tell.
Russia has been suspended from participation in tournaments under the auspices of FIFA and UEFA due to the situation in Ukraine.