Former General Secretary of the RFU, Anatoly Vorobyov, reflected on UEFA’s decision to bar Russian youth teams from international competition, offering his perspective on the matter. He pointed out that the situation is shaped by tensions at multiple levels, from European leadership to the higher echelons of UEFA itself. Vorobyov suggested that the mood among European leaders, both in power and on the football governance stage, has become unsettled, and he drew a line connecting the current stance of UEFA to historical periods when the organization commanded greater credibility. He noted that, in his view, there is a discrepancy between the rhetoric about safeguarding young players and the actions taken that seem to contradict that pledge. The argument he presented was that a decision impacting a generation of young players should be weighed with consistency, and he characterized recent moves by UEFA as displaying inconsistencies that undermine trust in the governing body. The underlying message was that young talents deserve a fair opportunity to compete, and any policy that prevents that opportunity risks appearing inconsistent with the stated goals of protecting junior players. Vorobyov stressed that the integrity of youth development in football should not be compromised for broader political or administrative objectives, and he urged stakeholders to consider the long-term impact of exclusionary measures on the sport’s growth in Russia and neighboring regions.
