The Swiss Federal Tribunal did not accept the appeal of the Russian Football Union (RFU) against the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on the removal of Russian football teams from international tournaments under the auspices of the International Football Federation (FIFA) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), SILA law company partner Mikhail Prokopets told Sputnik
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd February, 2023) The Swiss Federal Tribunal did not accept the appeal of the Russian Football Union (RFU) against the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on the removal of Russian football teams from international tournaments under the auspices of the International Football Federation (FIFA) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), SILA law company partner Mikhail Prokopets told Sputnik.
In 2022, correspondence deliveries between Switzerland and Russia were disrupted due to the complicated political situation, the lawyer said. The RFU received the full text of the CAS decision only in January of this year, after which it sent a complaint to the Swiss Federal Tribunal. The complaint was filed on time, Prokopets said.
"According to the information we have, the court refused to accept the complaint, citing a formal circumstance � a missed deadline, despite the RFU's reasonable request to restore the deadline due to the presence of justified reasons. The RFU is considering the possibility of applying to other instances to protect the violated rights of athletes and other interested parties," Prokopets said.
After the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine in February 2022, FIFA and UEFA suspended Russian football teams and clubs from participating in all international competitions for an indefinite period. In mid-July, CAS rejected the RFU's appeals against the decisions of FIFA and UEFA. In September, UEFA decided not to allow the Russian national team to participate in the draw for the qualifiers of the 2024 European Championship.
In January, the RFU said it held a working meeting with UEFA on the return of Russian teams and clubs to international competitions. According to the RFU, the parties agreed to continue contacts.
