Russian representation in football Europe is currently limited to individual players who defend the colors of teams from France, Italy, Spain and some other countries. Our national teams and clubs have not been in UEFA tournaments for a year and a half. Attempts at senseless isolation began in the second half of the previous European Cup season.

But it seems that Europe is ready for a thaw in frozen relations.

Russians were allowed to work at the UEFA Nations League match.

Significant precedent

Russian teams and national teams continue to remain without invitations to official FIFA and UEFA tournaments. There are no prospects for any changes, to be honest. At least, there are still no specifics in the official comments of the responsible officials. But some positive changes still appear.

Russian Vera Opeykina, together with her refereeing team, which includes Ekaterina Kurochkina, Elena Sobchuk and Nadezhda Gorinova, will officiate at the UEFA Women’s Nations League match with the participation of the teams of Armenia and Kazakhstan. This information appeared on the website of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). It would seem that this is a completely ordinary event – far from the most prestigious tournament, and even matches of women’s teams, to which fans still do not pay much attention. But in fact, this is a very significant precedent – Russian referees have not officiated at UEFA matches for a year and a half!

By the way, this is not the first news that can be viewed through the prism of a warming in relations with international football organizations. From September 3 to 6, Russian Sergei Karasev was invited to a training camp in Switzerland, according to the results of which our referee passed all the standards. While this, of course, does not guarantee anything. But it’s unlikely that UEFA decided, just for fun, to ask what shape the referee was in. One can cautiously hope that the matter will not be limited to a single invitation of a team of arbitrators from our country.

Other steps

The return of our referees is certainly a positive thing. But should we expect that other changes will follow after the involvement of Russian referees in UEFA tournaments? For now, it is hardly possible to give a definite answer. There is a possibility that these are just “handouts” from European football officials who, on the one hand, do not want to come into conflict with the IOC and its recommendations, and on the other, do not want sudden movements from Russia. The Asian vector now seems to be not a priority for those in charge of the RFU, but if the Europeans demonstratively close the door, leaving no hope, then what options will remain?

However, perhaps the return of the arbitrators is something more than preserving hopes in the absence of tectonic shifts. We should not forget that Russian sports were limited not only because of the desire to punish someone, but also because of issues of the safety of athletes. A year and a half ago, someone might have thought that football players from our country might feel uncomfortable in unfriendly stands. But during this time, no one tore Alexander Golovin and Alexey Miranchuk to pieces, or greeted the arrival of Daler Kuzyaev and Arsen Zakharyan with fists at the ready. Perhaps Russian judges are another trial balloon from UEFA. If their work goes without incident, other steps may follow.

The return of the Russian national team with the flag and anthem, of course, for this next step still seems unlikely – here UEFA will face serious pressure from other heavyweights from the world of sports. But the hypothetical participation of clubs in European competitions no longer looks so fantastic. In the end, teams from Belarus, albeit with restrictions in the form of home matches on neutral territory, are participating. And everyone who is dissatisfied with this fact somehow puts up with the situation. They will probably come to terms with the fact that the conditional Zenit, CSKA or Spartak will return to the European arena in the foreseeable future.