The RFU president, Alexander Dyukov, will continue to sit on UEFA’s executive committee, even as Russian clubs and national teams remain suspended. UEFA clarified that the suspension for Russian sides and the national team does not extend to its officials within the federation’s own leadership bodies. This clarification came in response to inquiries from the Polish outlet Sport about the status of Russian representatives.
In UEFA’s published statement, the organization stated: “The decision of the UEFA Executive Committee to temporarily suspend Russian clubs and national teams on 28 February 2022 does not affect the Russian officials in the UEFA Executive Committee, UEFA committees and commissions.”
Dyukov, elected to the UEFA executive committee in April 2021, continues to hold his seat through 2025, as part of the standard term for committee members and the rules governing re-elections and appointments within UEFA structures.
Earlier in 2022, both FIFA and UEFA acted in concert to suspend Russia’s participation in all competitions overseen by those bodies. This broad move applied to every national team and club under Russian football authorities, aligning with broader sanctions methodology at the time.
By the autumn of 2023, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin indicated that reentry of Russian clubs and the national team would be contingent on political and security developments, noting that competition would resume only after the end of the military operation. The framing suggested a clear link between wider geopolitical events and football’s competitive calendar, with officials signaling a cautious path back to play rather than a rapid return.
Historically, the landscape of Russian football in UEFA and FIFA competitions has been marked by sharp swings in participation depending on international decisions. In related coverage, FourFourTwo highlighted the significance of what many consider the most storied or impactful derby in world football, underscoring how rivalries persist even when broader sanctions shape the calendar and influence club and national team dynamics. These conversations reflect the deep intertwining of sport, governance, and geopolitical context that continuously informs decisions at the highest levels of European and international football.