Vyacheslav Koloskov, who holds the honorary presidency of the Russian Football Union, weighed in on whether the Ukrainian Football Federation should have invited Russian referee Sergey Karasev to a training camp and whether the matter should be reported to UEFA. He suggested that the UAF’s move would likely garner little attention from UEFA and that officials should review the accompanying documents with care. Koloskov accused the Ukrainians of attempting to push a false narrative and implied that their claims were not grounded in the available paperwork.
According to Koloskov, the Ukrainians should carefully examine the documents and note that Russian clubs and teams remain barred from competition by UEFA and FIFA. He insisted that there is no explicit reference to referees in the cited materials, framing the issue as a misrepresentation or manipulation of the facts.
The planned training camp was described as taking place in Switzerland from September 3 to September 6. It was said to involve referees who are listed by UEFA to oversee matches under the organization’s jurisdiction.
It is a matter of record that the International Football Federation and UEFA decided in the spring of 2022 to suspend the Russian national team and all Russian clubs from competitions governed by these bodies. The decision affected how Russian football was treated on the international stage in official competitions andedaws—an outcome that has continued to shape discussions around refereeing, sponsorship, and participation in UEFA and FIFA events.
Earlier reporting noted concerns from UEFA regarding developments surrounding Pavelko, the president of the Ukrainian Football Federation, reflecting ongoing sensitivity about governance and reform within Ukrainian football circles and their relations with international bodies. This backdrop has fed into public discourse around invitations, appointments, and the broader governance of football across the region. In this context, Koloskov’s remarks are positioned as a call for strict verification of documentation and clarity about the roles of referees and participants in UEFA-led activities.