July 22 – Bundesliga club Cologne has called for the exclusion of Belarusian teams from European competitions because of the country’s support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Cologne says it has written to UEFA asking to add Belarusian clubs to the ban on Russian teams and was rallying support from other clubs.
Cologne are scheduled to play in the playoffs for a spot in the group stage of the UEFA Europa Conference League with Belarusian clubs BATE Borisov, Gomel, Shakhtyor Soligorsk and Dinamo Minsk all potential opponents.
Cologne said it was “asking UEFA to take decisive action and to remove the teams from the competition” because of “the political situation and the support for Russia from the Belarusian government in the invasion of Ukraine.”
Belarus is a close ally of Russia and has allowed the country’s forces to use its territory to attack Ukraine.
UEFA’s decision to kick Russian clubs and national teams out of all its events was upheld last week at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
They have so far allowed Belarusian teams to keep playing, as long as the games are hosted outside of Belarus and without any fans.
But Cologne said it strongly condemned “the openly communicated closeness of the Belarusian government to Russia as well as the behaviour associated with the war in Ukraine” and it encouraged its members to support its appeal for the clubs to be excluded totally.
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