The country will also be stripped of hosting rights for the UEFA Super Cup
Russian football clubs will remain banned from participating in European club competitions, following a meeting of UEFA’s executive committee on Wednesday, according to Sky News.
UEFA and FIFA imposed a large-scale suspension on Russian football clubs in February last year, soon after the onset of the conflict with Ukraine, while the Russian national team was also effectively suspended from participating in the recent FIFA World Cup in Qatar after a playoff fixture was cancelled.
Russia’s women’s team were also banned from last year’s European Championships, and the men’s team has also been suspended from qualification for the 2024 European Championships.
The measures were later upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) following appeals by the Russian Football Union (RFU) and various club teams.
It was reported that figures from within the RFU had anticipated discussions with UEFA surrounding the potential reintegration of Russian clubs and national sides to European competitions such as the UEFA Champions League or European Championships at Wednesday’s executive committee meeting.
However, Sky News reported that UEFA has opted to extend the current suspension – meaning that Russian football will continue to remain outside the accepted European football infrastructure.
UEFA is also said to be eager to discuss the more general state of Russian domestic football and how Russian teams might one day be reinstated, though it appears that any such move may be dependent on the reduction of hostilities with Ukraine.
Neither the RFU nor UEFA have so far commented on the reports.
UEFA is also expected to announce that Kazan has been removed as the host city for the 2023 UEFA Super Cup fixture which takes place annually between the winners of the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League.
A new host city is expected to be announced in due course.
This comes after Saint Petersburg was removed as the host of the 2022 UEFA Champions League final, with the match instead being moved to Paris.
Russia, which previously hosted the 2018 FIFA World Cup, has also been heavily linked to a potential switch from European football’s governing body UEFA to its Asian equivalent, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The Blues has spent vast sums of money since Roman Abramovich sold the Premier League club
UEFA is set to close a financial loophole exploited by Chelsea in recent months which has seen the Premier League giants spread the cost of their transfer spend over as many as eight seasons, according to reports.
European football’s governing body has heeded complaints from several Premier League clubs that objected to Chelsea’s eye-watering transfer spree, which has seen them spend more than £460 million ($566 million) since the summer transfer window opened in 2022.
Chelsea, who are now operated by US businessman Todd Boehly, have largely bypassed Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations by using an accounting technique called amortization to spread transfer fees over extended periods – such as the eight years over which Mikhail Mudryk’s transfer fee will be applied to Chelsea’s books.
Ukraine international Mudryk joined the club earlier this month for a potential fee of £88 million ($108 million) from Shakhtar Donetsk on an eight-and-a-half-year contract.
Chelsea a fait signer des contrats de 7 et 8 ans sur ses nouveaux joueurs afin de réduire le coût des transferts sur la période de reporting du FPF. Face à cette technique comptable, l'UEFA voudrait imposer dès cet été une durée maximum de 5 ans sur l'analyse des contrats https://t.co/E5l9q1Q8JB
FFP regulations state that clubs may only spend a certain percentage of their financial revenue on transfer fees – but this has been bypassed by Chelsea, who will account for the Mudryk transfer sum over the course of eight years at an average annual cost of around £11 million ($13.5 million), a figure which falls well within the club’s FFP requirements.
However, it has been reported by the Daily Mail that from next summer clubs will only be able to amortize transfer spend across a maximum of five years. Clubs, though, will continue to be able to offer contracts which extend for more than five years.
Boehly, who is also the co-owner of the Major League Baseball franchise the LA Dodgers, has developed a reputation in the early days of his control of Chelsea for offering unusually lengthy contracts – mirroring similar measures which are commonplace in US sports.
In addition to Mudryk, other signings like Marc Cucurella, Wesley Fofana, David Datro Fofana and Benoit Badiashile have signed long contracts since joining Chelsea.
The changes to be implemented by UEFA, though, will not come into effect until this summer at the earliest, meaning Chelsea will have until the end of the January transfer window to continue their spending.
Chelsea’s £460 million ($566 million) outlay under Boehly has shattered the previous Premier League spending record, which Manchester City set at £328 million ($403 million) in the 2017-18 season.
Their colossal spend shows no sign of stopping. Argentina’s World Cup winning midfielder Enzo Fernandez remains linked to Chelsea in a potential deal which could cost in excess of £100 million ($123 million), while 19-year-old French defender Malo Gusto is also a target.
Chelsea are currently languishing in tenth place in the Premier League standings, ten points off the Champions League places.
The Blues has spent vast sums of money since Roman Abramovich sold the Premier League club
UEFA is set to close a financial loophole exploited by Chelsea in recent months which has seen the Premier League giants spread the cost of their transfer spend over as many as eight seasons, according to reports.
European football’s governing body has heeded complaints from several Premier League clubs that objected to Chelsea’s eye-watering transfer spree, which has seen them spend more than £460 million ($566 million) since the summer transfer window opened in 2022.
Chelsea, who are now operated by US businessman Todd Boehly, have largely bypassed Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations by using an accounting technique called amortization to spread transfer fees over extended periods – such as the eight years over which Mikhail Mudryk’s transfer fee will be applied to Chelsea’s books.
Ukraine international Mudryk joined the club earlier this month for a potential fee of £88 million ($108 million) from Shakhtar Donetsk on an eight-and-a-half-year contract.
Chelsea a fait signer des contrats de 7 et 8 ans sur ses nouveaux joueurs afin de réduire le coût des transferts sur la période de reporting du FPF. Face à cette technique comptable, l'UEFA voudrait imposer dès cet été une durée maximum de 5 ans sur l'analyse des contrats https://t.co/E5l9q1Q8JB
FFP regulations state that clubs may only spend a certain percentage of their financial revenue on transfer fees – but this has been bypassed by Chelsea, who will account for the Mudryk transfer sum over the course of eight years at an average annual cost of around £11 million ($13.5 million), a figure which falls well within the club’s FFP requirements.
However, it has been reported by the Daily Mail that from next summer clubs will only be able to amortize transfer spend across a maximum of five years. Clubs, though, will continue to be able to offer contracts which extend for more than five years.
Boehly, who is also the co-owner of the Major League Baseball franchise the LA Dodgers, has developed a reputation in the early days of his control of Chelsea for offering unusually lengthy contracts – mirroring similar measures which are commonplace in US sports.
In addition to Mudryk, other signings like Marc Cucurella, Wesley Fofana, David Datro Fofana and Benoit Badiashile have signed long contracts since joining Chelsea.
The changes to be implemented by UEFA, though, will not come into effect until this summer at the earliest, meaning Chelsea will have until the end of the January transfer window to continue their spending.
Chelsea’s £460 million ($566 million) outlay under Boehly has shattered the previous Premier League spending record, which Manchester City set at £328 million ($403 million) in the 2017-18 season.
Their colossal spend shows no sign of stopping. Argentina’s World Cup winning midfielder Enzo Fernandez remains linked to Chelsea in a potential deal which could cost in excess of £100 million ($123 million), while 19-year-old French defender Malo Gusto is also a target.
Chelsea are currently languishing in tenth place in the Premier League standings, ten points off the Champions League places.
The Serb has been battling a hamstring complaint throughout the Australian Open
Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic has fired back at critics who accused him of faking a hamstring injury at the Australian Open, saying it only gives him more motivation to claim a tenth title Down Under.
Djokovic, 35, will play Russia’s Andrey Rublev in a Wednesday quarter-final match in the Rod Laver Arena as he hunts a tenth Australian Open crown and a record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam win.
However, his run through the tournament has come amid constant reports of a hamstring injury to his left leg, which prompted injury timeouts in his second- and third-round matches.
Nonetheless, Djokovic has proceeded through the event with relative ease to this point – and looked in impressive form in Monday’s fourth-round clash with Alex De Minaur, losing just five games in an emphatic three-set win.
But his run through the tournament has come amid whispers that Djokovic has been overplaying the extent of the injury – an accusation which he says would only be applied to him.
“I leave the doubting to those people – let them doubt,” he said.
“Only my injuries are questioned. When some other players are injured, then they are the victims, but when it is me, I am faking it. It is very interesting. I don’t feel that I need to prove anything to anyone.
“I have got the MRI, ultrasound and everything else, both from two years ago and now. Whether I will publish that in my documentary or on social media depends on how I feel. Maybe I will do it, maybe I won’t.
“I am not really interested at this point what people are thinking and saying. It is fun, it is interesting to see how the narrative surrounding me continues, [a] narrative that is different compared to other players that have been going through similar situations.
“But I am used to it and it just gives me extra strength and motivation. So I thank them for that.”
Djokovic has overcome injury in high-profile tournaments in the past. He battled an abdominal complaint two years ago in Australia to eventually claim the title, and appeared to be in difficulty due to another injury against Andy Murray in the same event in 2015, only to recover and win.
However, injury knocked him out of Wimbledon in 2017 and the US Open two years later.
I hate how media will always create controversy and takes things out of context to make a headline. Got outplayed and outclassed yesterday. How about we focus on the tennis for once. I will get back to work and improve you can count on that. Thank you Australia ❤️
Alex De Minaur, the man defeated by Djokovic on Monday, also waded into the row on social media, saying he got “outplayed and outclassed” but bemoaned that Djokovic’s notoriety often focuses a media glare on outside-of-the-court allegations.
“I hate how media will always create controversy and takes things out of context to make a headline,” he wrote on social media.
“Got outplayed and outclassed yesterday. How about we focus on the tennis for once. I will get back to work and improve. You can count on that. Thank you Australia.”
The Serb has been battling a hamstring complaint throughout the Australian Open
Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic has fired back at critics who accused him of faking a hamstring injury at the Australian Open, saying it only gives him more motivation to claim a tenth title Down Under.
Djokovic, 35, will play Russia’s Andrey Rublev in a Wednesday quarter-final match in the Rod Laver Arena as he hunts a tenth Australian Open crown and a record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam win.
However, his run through the tournament has come amid constant reports of a hamstring injury to his left leg, which prompted injury timeouts in his second- and third-round matches.
Nonetheless, Djokovic has proceeded through the event with relative ease to this point – and looked in impressive form in Monday’s fourth-round clash with Alex De Minaur, losing just five games in an emphatic three-set win.
But his run through the tournament has come amid whispers that Djokovic has been overplaying the extent of the injury – an accusation which he says would only be applied to him.
“I leave the doubting to those people – let them doubt,” he said.
“Only my injuries are questioned. When some other players are injured, then they are the victims, but when it is me, I am faking it. It is very interesting. I don’t feel that I need to prove anything to anyone.
“I have got the MRI, ultrasound and everything else, both from two years ago and now. Whether I will publish that in my documentary or on social media depends on how I feel. Maybe I will do it, maybe I won’t.
“I am not really interested at this point what people are thinking and saying. It is fun, it is interesting to see how the narrative surrounding me continues, [a] narrative that is different compared to other players that have been going through similar situations.
“But I am used to it and it just gives me extra strength and motivation. So I thank them for that.”
Djokovic has overcome injury in high-profile tournaments in the past. He battled an abdominal complaint two years ago in Australia to eventually claim the title, and appeared to be in difficulty due to another injury against Andy Murray in the same event in 2015, only to recover and win.
However, injury knocked him out of Wimbledon in 2017 and the US Open two years later.
I hate how media will always create controversy and takes things out of context to make a headline. Got outplayed and outclassed yesterday. How about we focus on the tennis for once. I will get back to work and improve you can count on that. Thank you Australia ❤️
Alex De Minaur, the man defeated by Djokovic on Monday, also waded into the row on social media, saying he got “outplayed and outclassed” but bemoaned that Djokovic’s notoriety often focuses a media glare on outside-of-the-court allegations.
“I hate how media will always create controversy and takes things out of context to make a headline,” he wrote on social media.
“Got outplayed and outclassed yesterday. How about we focus on the tennis for once. I will get back to work and improve. You can count on that. Thank you Australia.”
Karen Khachanov is into the last four in Melbourne after Sebastian Korda retired in their quarterfinal
Russia’s Karen Khachanov has booked a spot in the Australian Open semifinals for the first time in his career after American opponent Sebastian Korda retired with injury in the third set of their match in Melbourne on Tuesday.
Khachanov was leading the quarterfinal after taking the opening two sets 7-6 (7-5) 6-3, and was 3-0 ahead in the third set when Korda could no longer continue due to an issue with his right wrist. The American, who had received medical treatment during the second set, was forced to withdraw with Khachanov already well on his way to victory at Rod Laver Arena.
The Russian 18th seed has now reached consecutive Grand Slam semifinals after his appearance at the same stage of the US Open in September. He will next face the winner of the quarterfinal between Greek third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and unseeded Pole Jiri Lehecka, who play later on Tuesday.
It was a disappointing end to the Australian Open for the 22-year-old Korda, who is the son of former tournament winner Petr Korda. Seeded 29th in Melbourne, Korda has enjoyed a career-best run at a Grand Slam and saw off Russian former two-time finalist Daniil Medvedev in the third round and then beat Polish 10th seed Hubert Hurkacz.
Khachanov, 26, will meanwhile attempt to reach a Grand Slam final for the first time after becoming just the 50th man in the Open Era to reach the quarterfinal stage of each of the four majors on the tennis calendar.
“Back-to-back semi-finals in a Grand Slam feels great,” Khachanov said on court after his win. “Obviously not the way you want to finish the match. I think until a certain point it was very competitive, a very good battle…
“Sebastian beat one of my friends, Daniil [Medvedev], in three sets and won in five sets against Hurkacz. He is playing great tennis… I’m feeling good, to be honest. I’m really happy about my level, about the way I compete, and looking forward to the semifinals here in Australia for the first time.”
Hoping to join Khachanov in the last four is compatriot Andrey Rublev, who emerged from an epic five-set match with Denmark’s Holger Rune on Monday. Rublev, who is seeded fifth, faces the formidable challenge of nine-time tournament winner Novak Djokovic in their quarterfinal on Wednesday.
Number four seed Djokovic demolished local hero Alex de Minaur in straight sets on Monday, producing one of his best performances of the year and laying down a statement of intent after previously being hindered by a hamstring injury in Melbourne.
Karen Khachanov is into the last four in Melbourne after Sebastian Korda retired in their quarterfinal
Russia’s Karen Khachanov has booked a spot in the Australian Open semifinals for the first time in his career after American opponent Sebastian Korda retired with injury in the third set of their match in Melbourne on Tuesday.
Khachanov was leading the quarterfinal after taking the opening two sets 7-6 (7-5) 6-3, and was 3-0 ahead in the third set when Korda could no longer continue due to an issue with his right wrist. The American, who had received medical treatment during the second set, was forced to withdraw with Khachanov already well on his way to victory at Rod Laver Arena.
The Russian 18th seed has now reached consecutive Grand Slam semifinals after his appearance at the same stage of the US Open in September. He will next face the winner of the quarterfinal between Greek third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and unseeded Pole Jiri Lehecka, who play later on Tuesday.
It was a disappointing end to the Australian Open for the 22-year-old Korda, who is the son of former tournament winner Petr Korda. Seeded 29th in Melbourne, Korda has enjoyed a career-best run at a Grand Slam and saw off Russian former two-time finalist Daniil Medvedev in the third round and then beat Polish 10th seed Hubert Hurkacz.
Khachanov, 26, will meanwhile attempt to reach a Grand Slam final for the first time after becoming just the 50th man in the Open Era to reach the quarterfinal stage of each of the four majors on the tennis calendar.
“Back-to-back semi-finals in a Grand Slam feels great,” Khachanov said on court after his win. “Obviously not the way you want to finish the match. I think until a certain point it was very competitive, a very good battle…
“Sebastian beat one of my friends, Daniil [Medvedev], in three sets and won in five sets against Hurkacz. He is playing great tennis… I’m feeling good, to be honest. I’m really happy about my level, about the way I compete, and looking forward to the semifinals here in Australia for the first time.”
Hoping to join Khachanov in the last four is compatriot Andrey Rublev, who emerged from an epic five-set match with Denmark’s Holger Rune on Monday. Rublev, who is seeded fifth, faces the formidable challenge of nine-time tournament winner Novak Djokovic in their quarterfinal on Wednesday.
Number four seed Djokovic demolished local hero Alex de Minaur in straight sets on Monday, producing one of his best performances of the year and laying down a statement of intent after previously being hindered by a hamstring injury in Melbourne.
Valery Karpin said the incident had been inflated into a ‘political’ row after several Estonian players apologized for appearing in a picture with him
Russian men’s national team head coach Valery Karpin has dismissed a row surrounding a photo with several Estonian footballers as “pure politics.” The players were forced to apologize earlier this month after being pictured in a restaurant with Karpin.
“The first reaction is misunderstanding,” Karpin told Russia’s Match TV when asked about the scandal. “A misunderstanding of what’s happening. I probably can’t say anything more than that. It was a misunderstanding of what’s happening now in our world.”
Karpin, who was born in Narva and holds Estonian citizenship as well as Russian, was photographed at a restaurant in Tallinn at the end of December as part of a group which included several Estonian football stars, past and present. Among them was current national team captain Konstantin Vassiljev and his teammate Sergei Zenjov.
Sharing a photo of the gathering on social media, former Estonian international defender Andrei Stepanov wrote: “One company, 10 friends, 100 memories, 1000 games. New Year party to remember.”
But the image prompted anger among some in Estonia, with claims that the players shouldn’t be fraternizing with a prominent Russian football figure amid the conflict in Ukraine. Estonian Culture Minister Piret Hartman also argued that Estonians should do “everything [they] can not to support the aggressor,” according to national media outlet ERR.
The reaction prompted the Estonian football association to issue an apology on behalf of Vassiljev, Zenjov, and assistant coach Andres Oper to “everyone whose feelings were hurt by our dinner and the publication of a photo of that on social media.”
The apology came despite Estonian FA president Aivar Pohlak previously being more understanding of the photo, telling local media that “at a human level, it is our duty not only to show compassion and help to those suffering, but also to think about not losing key human rights, including the right to be acquainted with differently-minded people and the right to meet them.”
In his interview with Match TV published on Monday, Karpin said that despite the broader political tensions between the two nations – which have intensified this week with accusations by Moscow of Estonia pursuing a policy of “total Russophobia” – he felt comfortable in the Baltic state.
“I can probably reassure someone: having been in Estonia for a month, I’m ready to say with confidence that this is purely a political issue. Everything that concerned my stay, my family and Russians in Estonia in general, this isn’t reflected in any way at the everyday level, absolutely,” said Karpin.
“I don’t speak Estonian, I spoke only Russian, and absolutely all the Estonians [I spoke with] switched to Russian and communicated. I didn’t feel a single sideways glance or anything else. Not to mention the fact that quite a lot of people came up to me there and wished me good luck. I felt great there and feel great. Everything that is inflated is pure politics.”
Karpin’s Russia team played just three matches last year following a ban from all UEFA and FIFA competitions because of the Ukraine conflict. The Russian Football Union (RFU) has established a working group alongside UEFA in a bid to resolve the issue, and has said it is targeting five friendly matches for Karpin’s team in 2023, starting in March.
Valery Karpin said the incident had been inflated into a ‘political’ row after several Estonian players apologized for appearing in a picture with him
Russian men’s national team head coach Valery Karpin has dismissed a row surrounding a photo with several Estonian footballers as “pure politics.” The players were forced to apologize earlier this month after being pictured in a restaurant with Karpin.
“The first reaction is misunderstanding,” Karpin told Russia’s Match TV when asked about the scandal. “A misunderstanding of what’s happening. I probably can’t say anything more than that. It was a misunderstanding of what’s happening now in our world.”
Karpin, who was born in Narva and holds Estonian citizenship as well as Russian, was photographed at a restaurant in Tallinn at the end of December as part of a group which included several Estonian football stars, past and present. Among them was current national team captain Konstantin Vassiljev and his teammate Sergei Zenjov.
Sharing a photo of the gathering on social media, former Estonian international defender Andrei Stepanov wrote: “One company, 10 friends, 100 memories, 1000 games. New Year party to remember.”
But the image prompted anger among some in Estonia, with claims that the players shouldn’t be fraternizing with a prominent Russian football figure amid the conflict in Ukraine. Estonian Culture Minister Piret Hartman also argued that Estonians should do “everything [they] can not to support the aggressor,” according to national media outlet ERR.
The reaction prompted the Estonian football association to issue an apology on behalf of Vassiljev, Zenjov, and assistant coach Andres Oper to “everyone whose feelings were hurt by our dinner and the publication of a photo of that on social media.”
The apology came despite Estonian FA president Aivar Pohlak previously being more understanding of the photo, telling local media that “at a human level, it is our duty not only to show compassion and help to those suffering, but also to think about not losing key human rights, including the right to be acquainted with differently-minded people and the right to meet them.”
In his interview with Match TV published on Monday, Karpin said that despite the broader political tensions between the two nations – which have intensified this week with accusations by Moscow of Estonia pursuing a policy of “total Russophobia” – he felt comfortable in the Baltic state.
“I can probably reassure someone: having been in Estonia for a month, I’m ready to say with confidence that this is purely a political issue. Everything that concerned my stay, my family and Russians in Estonia in general, this isn’t reflected in any way at the everyday level, absolutely,” said Karpin.
“I don’t speak Estonian, I spoke only Russian, and absolutely all the Estonians [I spoke with] switched to Russian and communicated. I didn’t feel a single sideways glance or anything else. Not to mention the fact that quite a lot of people came up to me there and wished me good luck. I felt great there and feel great. Everything that is inflated is pure politics.”
Karpin’s Russia team played just three matches last year following a ban from all UEFA and FIFA competitions because of the Ukraine conflict. The Russian Football Union (RFU) has established a working group alongside UEFA in a bid to resolve the issue, and has said it is targeting five friendly matches for Karpin’s team in 2023, starting in March.
Khamzat Chimaev said Muslims in Sweden should be shown respect after far-right figure Rasmus Paludan publicly burned a copy of the holy book
Russian-born UFC fighter Khamzat Chimaev has said Muslims cannot look the other way after a far-right politician was permitted to publicly burn a copy of the Koran in Chimaev’s adopted homeland of Sweden.
Danish-Swedish lawyer Rasmus Paludan, who leads the right-wing ‘Stram Kurs’ (Hard Line) party in Denmark, set fire to the book on Saturday near the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm. Police had permitted Paludan to carry out the desecration of the Muslim holy book, despite an outcry from Turkish officials and criticism from among the Swedish political elite.
Chimaev, 28 made his feelings clear in an Instagram post to his 4.7 million followers on Sunday. “He is a terrorist for us,” wrote the fighter in Swedish, sharing an image of Paludan holding a copy of the Koran.
“I am Muslim but have never been against anybody’s religion and have never done what he’s done to anybody’s religion. Why do you let him do this Sweden?” added the MMA star, along with a series of ‘thumbs-down’ emojis. “We all shouldn’t keep quiet, you call us brothers so show us some respect.”
Chimaev was born in Chechnya but moved to Sweden in his late teens and fights out of the Allstars Gym in Stockholm. Throughout his rise in the UFC – where he has won all six of his fights to date – Chimaev has maintained close contact with his Chechen birthplace and is often seen alongside local leader Ramzan Kadyrov and his family.
Chimaev was far from the only figure to be angered by the actions of Paludan. Protesters set a Swedish flag ablaze in Istanbul later on Saturday in response to the actions of the far-right figure. The row also comes as Sweden and Finland bid to join military alliance NATO – of which Türkiye is already a member. NATO members must give unanimous consent before any new nations are admitted into the alliance.
