After Being Imposed With Harsh Sanctions, Russia Officially Sues FIFA And UEFA To CAS

Illustration of the attacking midfielder of the Russian national team Zelikhan Bakaev (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The Russian Football Federation (RFU) has finally officially filed a lawsuit against FIFA and UEFA through the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). This was taken by the RFU after the two football bodies imposed harsh sanctions on all Russian clubs and national teams.

The harsh sanctions imposed by FIFA and UEFA were the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This decision was taken together by FIFA and UEFA on February 28, where it also automatically prevented Russia from appearing in important football events such as the 2022 World Cup Qualification play-offs.

Five days later after the harsh sanctions were imposed, Russia then threatened FIFA and UEFA with the intention of filing an appeal against CAS. This was then realized by the RFU on Monday, March 7 local time.

"The RFU has sent a lawsuit today to CAS," reads an official statement from the RFU.

Not only filing an appeal, the RFU also asked for a dispensation so that the punishment from FIFA and UEFA could be temporarily suspended during the appeal process. The strong reason is because Russia feels they have to face Sweden in the semifinals of the 2022 World Cup playoffs on March 24, even though the opposing team refused.

"The RFU will ask for the return of the rights to play for the Russian men's and women's national teams in all the football events they participate in (including the World Cup Qualifiers in Qatar), as well as compensation for the losses incurred," the RFU statement continued.

"In order to ensure the presence of Russian teams in the next matches, the RFU requests that the proceedings of this case be expedited."

"If FIFA and UEFA reject this step, then conditions will be put forward for the temporary suspension of FIFA and UEFA's penalties," the statement concluded.

Regarding the invasion of Ukraine, it did not only have an impact on sanctions in the world of football, the country led by Vladimir Putin. Other branches such as Formula 1, Judo, to multi-event events such as the Winter Paralympics have also imposed severe sanctions on Russia.