Over 100 member of the European Parliament urged the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to suspend Belarus from the qualifiers of Euro 2024 in Germany, the Politico newspaper reported on Wednesday, citing a letter sent to UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th March, 2023) Over 100 member of the European Parliament urged the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to suspend Belarus from the qualifiers of Euro 2024 in Germany, the Politico newspaper reported on Wednesday, citing a letter sent to UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin.
"The very fact of participating in UEFA Championship by the Belarusian national team will be later used by Lukashenko and his propaganda team to prove he is well-received in the international community," the letter said, as quoted by the news outlet.
The lawmakers that signed the letter also argued that allowing the Belarusian national football team to compete in the international arena is "an offense" to Ukrainians as well as the Belarusian opposition, taking into account alleged human rights violations committed by Minsk and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's support of Russia's military operation in Ukraine.
Currently, Belarus is allowed to participate in UEFA tournaments, however, its team is obliged to play home matches outside the country and without spectators. In the Euro 2024 qualifiers, Belarus is supposed to compete against Switzerland, Israel, Romania, Kosovo and Andorra. In its first match scheduled for March 25, Belarus is set to play against Switzerland in the Serbian city of Novi sad.
