Moscow media claim: FSCG would support Russia's return

The International Olympic Committee temporarily lifted Russia's suspension from international sports competitions, after which British media reported that the issue of this country had divided both UEFA and FIFA, and everything is expected to be written about in Moscow.

As reported by "Sport 24" and "Sport Ekspres", although there is currently no unified position within the FIFA Council on the issue of the possible return of Russian national teams and clubs, the Football Association of Montenegro is reportedly in favor of lifting the suspension.

"Dejan Savićević from Montenegro is among European officials who support the return of Russian teams," he claims.Sport 24".

This news shouldn't come as a surprise, as the Montenegrin legend has seen everything through sports before. After all, he himself felt it during the 1990s due to the war and sanctions.

"I'm not defending Vladimir Putin, I'm saying this because I personally experienced exclusion due to politics. Sport and playing matches are always a message of peace. Russian footballers have nothing to do with Putin's decision, just as we have nothing to do with the war in Yugoslavia 30 years ago," Savićević told the Italian "La Repubblica" in 2022, when the Russian invasion of Ukraine began.

According to the same sources from Russia, Sandor Csanyi of the Hungarian Football Federation is taking a neutral stance and is expected to be guided by the final position of the FIFA president. The representatives of Cyprus and Portugal - Giorgos Koumas and Fernando Gomes - are maintaining a reserved stance.

"In the European bloc, the strongest stance is held by representatives of England, Germany, Romania and Belgium - Debbie Hewitt, Bernd Neuendorf, Razvan Burleanu and Pascal van Dam," Russia reports.

In total, including Montenegro, according to media reports, 13 other FIFA Council associations are in favor of Russia's return. These are Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Comoros, Niger, Djibouti, Mauritania, Egypt, Morocco and South Africa.

Seven out of nine members are against the return, and 12 to 14 would maintain a neutral position. So Russia is still far from having enough numbers for the return.

"Gianni Infantino, FIFA President, is currently taking an extremely cautious stance. This is related to serious pressure coming from several European football associations and the UEFA leadership. That is precisely why this issue has not yet been put to an official vote in the FIFA Council," concludes "Sport 24".