Ukraine’s sports minister on Tuesday lambasted FIFA president Gianni Infantino as “infantile” for advocating an end to Russia’s exclusion from international football, highlighting the deaths of over 100 Ukrainian players amid Moscow’s ongoing invasion.
The rebuke from Matvii Bidnyi came after Infantino suggested lifting the ban imposed in 2022 following Russia’s assault on Ukraine, arguing it has fueled resentment without yielding positive outcomes.
“Gianni Infantino’s words sound irresponsible — not to say infantile. They detach football from the reality in which children are being killed,” Bidnyi posted on social media.
He added: “Let me remind you that since the start of Russia’s full-scale aggression, more than 650 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have been killed by Russians. Among them were more than one hundred footballers.”
Bidnyi stressed opposition to Russia’s reinstatement, saying: “As long as Russians continue killing Ukrainians and politicising sport, their flag and national symbols have no place among people who respect values such as justice, integrity, and fair play.”
The Ukrainian Association of Football echoed the stance, warning against Russia’s return while hostilities persist.
In a Sky News interview, Infantino said: “We have to (end the ban), because this ban has not achieved anything, it has just created more frustration and hatred.”
He continued: “Having girls and boys from Russia being able to play football games in other parts of Europe would help.”
Infantino further argued: “We should actually never ban any country from playing football because of the acts of their political leaders. Somebody needs to keep the ties open.”
The comments have intensified scrutiny on FIFA’s handling of the conflict, with Ukraine citing casualties like teenager Illia Perezhogin, killed by a missile while playing in Mariupol, and futsal player Viktoriia Kotliarova, slain in Kyiv shelling.
Russia remains barred from FIFA and UEFA events, a sanction Infantino now views as counterproductive amid stalled peace efforts in the nearly four-year war.
