Nancy Faeser wants to see both Russia and Belarus prohibited from playing in the tournament
Germany and its interior minister Nancy Faeser want to see Russia and Belarus banned from the Euro 2024 football tournament and have sent a letter to UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin on the topic according to local media.
Germany are set to host the competition for the first time since 1988, and three weeks ahead of the draw for the qualifying groups in Frankfurt, Der Spiegel say that Faeser has sent a letter to the European governing body noting how Russia are already banned from international competitions and demanding the same treatment for Belarus.
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Faeser argued that Belarus, who have never qualified for a major tournament and played their UEFA Nations League home games in Serbia in June without fans present, should be excluded from all international football matches and tournaments due to them being “essential supporters of the Russian leadership” in the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine.
Furthermore, the German politician added that UEFA should also suspend Russian and Belarusian officials from “the influential bodies of international sports federations” because football should “live up to its responsible role and show a united stance against this form of disregard for human rights”.
“All those responsible must be deprived of any possibility of sporting participation, influence or other representation,” it was also said.
The Athletic say that UEFA have already received the correspondence and will respond to it in due course.
