Dyukov did not rule out the possible withdrawal of the RFU from FIFA

President of the Russian Football Union (RFU) Alexander Dyukov told reporters that the organization could withdraw from the International Football Federation (FIFA), but this should be the decision of all members of the RFU and fans.

– Judging by the decision of FIFA, you do not have a dialogue with them and UEFA?

“I am sure that it will not come to the exclusion of the RFU from FIFA, we have a dialogue with these organizations,” Dyukov is quoted by Match TV. — I do not want to disclose details, but we are conducting certain consultations. Therefore, this decision came as a surprise to us. That is why we want to get some explanation why it was adopted without any discussions and attempts to find a compromise. The dialogue continues, and we are sure that the situation will end successfully and our national team and clubs will have the opportunity to play in international matches.

The RFU has appealed the decisions of FIFA and UEFA to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). In addition, CSKA, Zenit, Dynamo and Sochi announced in May that they had filed an appeal with CAS against UEFA’s decision to remove Russian clubs from European competition.

– Under what circumstances will you be ready to consider withdrawing from FIFA?

– This is not my decision, and not even the decision of the bureau of the executive committee or the executive committee. This is the decision of the RFU conference. If such a decision is made, the technical implementation will be ensured. But it must be a balanced decision. Young athletes who dream of becoming great football players, coaches, they must understand that for a long time they are depriving themselves of participation in international matches. It’s not for me to play! I can live without FIFA. Are you suggesting that we stop playing for extended periods of time? But this opportunity may arise. An appeal and consultation process is underway. It is possible that the attitude of organizations to the decisions they have made may change. We start from this. What will leaving FIFA give now? We will simply deprive ourselves of the option to return to international football for a long time.

Yes, such a solution is possible. But this should be the decision of all members of the RFU. Including the opinion of the fans must be taken into account. Ask them: Do you need international matches next year?

FIFA and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) have previously suspended Russian teams and clubs from participating in tournaments under the auspices of organizations because of the situation in Ukraine. On Tuesday, FIFA announced that it had allowed foreign players to suspend contracts with Russian clubs until June 30, 2023.