Since the onset of full scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, UEFA has secretly contributed more than 10.8 million Euros in so called solidarity payments to Russian football clubs. The payments are spread out over seasons: 3.3m euros in 2022/23, 3.38m euros in 2023/24, and 4.22m euros in 2024/25, compared with an earlier 6.21m in 2021/22 and are traditionally designed to allow non qualifying clubs to remain competitive in their native countries.
All to Russia, None to Ukraine
Remarkably, such payouts did not stop even when Russian clubs were banned from the events of the European football association (UEFA) following the invasion. In the meantime, five Ukrainian clubs Chornomorets and Real Pharma (Odesa), IFC Metalurg (Zaporizhzhia), Phoenix-Mariupol and Metalist 1925 (Kharkiv) have not received seperate solidarity payments of 2023 to 2025. UEFA is said to have blocked such money citing the requirement of a Swiss bank on the grounds the clubs were located in so called zone of military operations. The clubs have been strongly arguing against such classification, and cited that the entire Ukraine has been suffering under active aggression, and that the term “war zone” is misguiding.
UEFA had at first claimed that explanations would be provided regarding these payments and now it remained relatively quiet which stirred the anger of critics to its policy toward Russia. There is a large unease by the observers most especially the fact that Russia still enjoyed a membership of the UEFA along its ranking points and influence. In questionable eyes, Polina Yumasheva, the daughter of an ex-Putin advisor, remains on the UEFA governance and compliance committee which raises eyebrows with insider political influence.
The contrasting scenario Russian clubs funded and Ukrainian clubs trying hard to acquire funds is very disturbing on the side of the UEFA ethical values and impartiality in the context of a war. This decision can be seen as a source of more tension, highlighting the notion of a obvious hypocrisy as to how the governing body of football manages geopolitical flash points.
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