Lom-Ali Ibragimov, a member of the RFU executive committee, explained why the organization did not hurry with the decision to move to the Asian Football Confederation.

— The working group was created to work with UEFA. Today we made a decision to study the whole situation in Europe – we should meet, talk, have a dialogue. We can’t just slam the door and go to Asia, but we must study the whole situation as it is and settle all open options with UEFA. We want to know if they can give us a guarantee for the removal of restrictions, what guarantees they will have, whether they want to see us in Europe at all. If the answers are vague and unguaranteed, then we will go to Asia with peace of mind.

In Asia, there is nothing official yet either. Everything rests on words, and we see no guarantees there either. They seem to say that they are waiting for us, but these are just words. What will happen in the vote? Nothing is known about Asia. To start studying Asia, you must first finish with UEFA.

Why has confident Asian rhetoric changed in a week? You yourself saw the reaction shown by the Russian community. They started talking about corruption in the AFC, dirt, poverty and the like. Of course, such a reaction could not but affect the decision of the executive committee.

Today we could decide everything simply – to leave for the AFC. But the members of the executive committee decided to try to maintain a close dialogue with UEFA. Immediately, the RFU is not to blame at all, it’s just politics. UEFA should explain to us how we can get out of this together. Therefore, the most reasonable decision was made today – to consult until March. And there, maybe, the political situation will change.

Of course, it is better for us to play in Europe, but if nothing changes before March, then we must act in our own interests. Now we are trying to minimize possible losses in the event of leaving UEFA,” Ibragimov told Sport24.