The chairwoman of the German Bundestag’s sports committee, Aydan Özoguz (SPD), has rejected FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s proposal to allow Russian teams to return to international football competitions. “Reintegrating Russia and its associations into world football at a time when Russia is bombarding Ukraine with unrelenting force would send a fatal signal” Özoguz told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is currently stalling peace talks with Ukraine and instead launching massive air and drone strikes on civilian infrastructure. People die each day, and many Ukrainians have suffered through the winter without adequate heat or access to running water.
Özoguz said that re‑entering Russia into the international game would be a declaration of bankruptcy for sport, especially football. “Football is the most played and watched sport worldwide. It carries a special responsibility, and that responsibility must be lived” she added. “Innocent people are dying. Infantino seems to have lost every moral compass”.