October 3 – Swedish UEFA vice-president Karl-Erik Nilsson and Danish executive committee member Jesper Møller are under pressure at home after the former backed the European governing body’s decision to allow the readmission of Russia’s under-17s teams to competitions, while the latter keeps shrouding the way he voted in mystery.
Sky News first reported that Nilsson had voted in favour of the readmission, a stance that contradicts the position of the Swedish Sports Confederation, which Nilsson chairs. Until earlier this year, Nilsson was also the president of the Swedish FA.
The Swedish Sports Confederation and the Swedish FA are opposed to Russian teams competing in international sports events.
Sweden will also host the U-17 European championship and said it would not allow Russia to participate there. But Nilsson ignored those considerations and voted to back the readmission, which he initially denied.
In a statement from the Swedish Sports Confederation, he said: “I am sorry that my position in UEFA, and the decision there, have been interpreted as that I do not, as a representative of the Swedish Sports Confederation and the Swedish sports movement, continue to stand for our common stance. I do.
“However, I understand that UEFA wants to review whether we have thought correctly from the children’s perspective, so we exclude the risk that we allow children to be punished for, in this case, cruel wars and acts of violence that adults are responsible for.”
Nilsson also implied that the UEFA decision on readmission wasn’t final but simply an investigation into a potential pathway. At home, pressure has increased on Nilsson, with the media questioning his credibility after first spinning the story before admitting he had voted against the Swedish line.
In Denmark, Jesper Møller, a close ally of Nilsson, is also under pressure.
It is understood that Møller voted for readmission, but the president of the Danish FA (DBU) has maintained his habitual silence, refusing to disclose which position he took. The DBU, the Danish Sports Confederation and the Danish government oppose Russian reintegration.
The DBU wrote in a statement to local media: “Members of the UEFA Executive Committee have signed a confidentiality statement in relation to votes and more, and Jesper Møller therefore refers, as before, to the President of UEFA for statements on behalf of the UEFA Executive Committee.”
That, however, may not be enough. Danish Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt believes that Møller should come clean and disclose how he voted.
“I assume that Jesper Møller has voted in accordance with the Danish government,” said Schmidt in an interview with Ekstra Bladet. “The DBU has been out to say that they do not want to meet Russian teams. I support that. My impression is that interests have been taken care of in accordance with what DBU believes. If not, then we need to talk.”
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