Uefa boss attempts to distance himself from politics as football body considers the future for the clubs of Crimea. EurasiaNet.org report

Football has become the latest sticking point in the annexation of Crimea, as Russia pressures Uefa to recognise it as an entity separate from Ukraine.

Russian troops invaded Crimea year ago in response to the Euromaidan protests in Kiev. The pro-Russian Crimean authorities signed an annexation pact with Russia on 18 March 2014.

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Marking the first anniversary Vladimir Putin praised the “amazing patriotism” of Crimea’s residents, but annexation has not been formally recognised by the European Union (EU) or the United States, who have imposed economic sanctions on Russia as a result.

The European governing body for football Uefa have just visited the region for the first time with the view to making a decision later this month.

A decision in favour of Russia would mean that Crimea would be able to organise its own football league separate from Ukraine’s – it would be a strategic win for the Kremlin and a blow for the EU and their non-recognition resolve.

A Uefa delegation, led by František Laurinec, the former president of Slovakia’s Football Association, visited Crimea in early March. Their aim was to assess “the situation in reality” and the impact Russia’s takeover has had on football.

“We tried to hear proposals and ideas from people who have worked in Crimean football for many, many years, and who now are faced with the current political reality,” Laurinec said in an interview with EurasiaNet.org.

Prior to the Russian annexation, two Crimean clubs, FC Sevastopol and SC Tavriya Simferopol, played in the Ukraine’s Premier League. Shortly after the annexation, Russian football officials, acting without Ukraine’s permission, tried to place the two teams, along with a third Crimean club Zhemchuzhina Yalta, in Russia’s second professional division.

Attempting to create a veneer of legitimacy for the switch, the clubs changed their names in order to compete. But in January Uefa ruled against the move, and Russia dropped the clubs from the professional ranks of the Russian football system.

“The Russian Football Association and Russian state authorities accepted and respected this decision,” Laurinec said. But that was not the end. Russia devised a plan to form a separate eight-team Crimean league, grouping the Sevastopol, Simferopol and Yalta teams with five amateur squads. If Uefa agrees, the league could kick off as early as April, with the season running through the autumn.

Laurinec sought to distance the football body from political responsibility, but acknowledged that their decision could have further ramifications. Pleading an Olympic-style approach, he said that sporting affairs and politics should be considered separately.

Crimean clubs are not currently an active part of Ukrainian football

“I hope our mission will not undermine the EU’s sanctions against Russia,” he said, adding “we only want to prevent the death of football in this part of Europe.”

“To be pragmatic, we have to say that Crimean clubs are not even currently an active part of Ukrainian football,” Laurinec continued. “Uefa wants to help save football in Crimea, especially youth and grassroots development. This is the core of our mission and we try to find solutions.” Ukrainian authorities have not taken a strong stance on Russian efforts to establish a separate Crimean football league. But, given the myriad problems facing Ukrainian authorities in Kiev, the silence does not mean acquiescence.

“There is there is no official reaction at the moment,” said Denis Trubetskoy, a football analyst for UA-football.com . However, he emphasised, the Ukrainian authorities remain firm in their stance: Crimea remains part of Ukraine.

Trubetskoy indicated that Ukraine would not be opposed to Uefa’s efforts to help sustain football in Crimea on the youth level. But the matter of the league is more complicated, he said.

He added that Ukraine would steadfastly oppose participation by Crimean clubs in Uefa-sanctioned European tournaments, but according to Laurinec Crimean representation in such Uefa competitions is not currently under consideration.



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Ultimately a Crimean league would have a tough time surviving without a massive infusion of Russian funding, but with the Russian economy being battered on all sides, financial support may not be forthcoming.

In Laurinec’s estimation, only “four or five” of the eight clubs in the proposed league have the financial foundation to survive. “Also, the football infrastructure is generally very poor,” he said, also pointing to “a shortage of qualified coaches and a general lack of funds.”

