Azerbaijan backs return of Russian teams to European football

Representatives of UEFA's national football associations attempted to resolve the issue of readmitting Russia to European tournaments during a meeting in Albania. Azerbaijan was among the countries that voiced support for Russia's football return.

On September 11, a meeting of the UEFA Executive Committee was held in Albania to discuss the prospects of reintegrating Russian teams into European football. Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and a number of other countries advocated for the Russian Football Union (RFU) to be readmitted to UEFA-sanctioned competitions.

The meeting addressed the potential participation of Russian clubs in European tournaments, as well as the resumption of matches for the Russian youth squad against European teams.

A proposal to partially ease the ban was put forward by the Scandinavian nations - Sweden, Finland, and Norway. Their representatives argued in favor of allowing Russian women's and youth teams to compete. However, strong opposition to any form of return was voiced by France, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, England, Poland, and several other countries.

Full reintegration of Russian football was supported by Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, and Hungary.

The member associations were unable to reach a final decision on Russia's readmission. The fate of Russian clubs and national teams in European football is now scheduled to be determined at the UEFA Congress in Brussels, set for February 2026.