Russian Football Union set to lodge CAS appeal over UEFA, FIFA bans

Russian Football Union is set to lodge an appeal over UEFA and FIFA’s decision to ban the national teams and clubs from competing in football.

According to a report from Sky Sports, the Russian Football Union are set to hit back at FIFA and UEFA to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), preparing an appeal against their decision to ban the Russian national team and the Russian clubs from competing in international and continental competitions.

The FUR is set to launch a lawsuit against both the governing bodies of football and demand that both the men’s and women’s national teams be allowed to play in international football.

As it stands, both the men’s and women’s national teams of Russia are barred from competing in international tournaments, including the qualifying rounds of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The men’s team were slated to face Poland in the semi-final playoff, but their opponents fiercely opted to boycott the game, with Robert Lewandowski notably speaking out against Russia.

It eventually led to FIFA’s decision to ban the Russian teams from international competitions, meaning they won’t be able to qualify or take part in the World Cup in Qatar. UEFA, meanwhile, banned the Russian clubs from competing in the European competition.

The Russian Football Union said it will appeal against its ban from international competitions after the country's invasion of Ukraine.

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) March 3, 2022

Spartak Moscow, who were the only remaining team in Europe this season, were directly kicked out of the UEFA Europa League despite reaching the Round of 16. They were entitled to play RB Leipzig, but the German outfit were given a direct entry into the quarter-finals.

Apart from FIFA and UEFA, Russian football has been hit by further sanctions, with EA Sports currently in the process of removing the national team from the game. “EA Sports stands in solidarity with the Ukrainian people and like so many voices across the world of football, calls for peace and an end to the invasion of Ukraine,” the game company said in an official statement.

CAS has been involved in various football-related topics in recent times, including Chelsea’s transfer ban and Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana’s doping ban. The decision to ban Russia from international football is now set to become the latest hot topic in the elite sports judiciary.