Aydan Özoguz, chair of the Bundestag’s sports committee and a member of the SPD, rejected FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s proposal to allow Russian teams to return to international football competitions. “Reintegrating Russia and its associations into world football at a time when Russia is bombarding Ukraine with relentless brutality would send a fatal signal” Özoguz told the German editorial network.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is currently stalling peace talks with Ukraine while launching massive attacks with bombs and drones on civilian infrastructure. People die each day; many suffered in the Ukrainian winter without adequate heating or access to clean water.
“Reintroducing Russia into international competition under these circumstances would be a declaration of bankruptcy for sport, especially football” Özoguz said. “As the most widely played and most watched sport in the world, football carries a special responsibility, and that responsibility must be lived out”. He added that Infantino appears to have lost every moral compass.
