Shakhtar Donetsk’s chief executive, Sergei Palkin, has urged FIFA president Gianni Infantino to travel to Ukraine and observe the devastation caused by the war instead of suggesting that Russia could return to international football.
Tuesday marked the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Estimates differ, but The Center for Strategic International Studies reports that as many as 140,000 Ukrainians have lost their lives, along with 325,000 Russians.
In February 2022, FIFA and UEFA suspended Russian football clubs and national teams from all competitions. However, Infantino stated earlier this month that the ban should be lifted, claiming it “has not achieved anything, it has just created more frustration and hatred.”
Ukraine’s sports minister, Matvii Bidnyi, criticized these remarks as “irresponsible” and “infantile,” asserting that over 100 footballers are among more than 650 Ukrainian athletes and coaches who have been killed by Russian forces.
Palkin continued to express his discontent with FIFA after Ukrainian clubs felt let down by the organization regarding the introduction of Annex 7 to their regulations, which permitted foreign players in Russia and Ukraine to unilaterally suspend their contracts following the onset of war in the region.
In an exclusive interview with ESPN reflecting on four years of conflict, Palkin remarked: “This situation with FIFA has persisted for four years, and I am quite fatigued by this type of relationship with FIFA.”
“There is a consistent negative attitude towards Ukrainian football when Infantino makes statements about inviting Russia back into world football.”
“Can you imagine someone making such a statement? Annex 7 pales in comparison to this.”
“I propose that Infantino visit Ukraine to see the destruction firsthand instead of making such irresponsible comments from afar. Reintegrating Russia while Ukraine endures this war is a betrayal of the sport’s claim of being ‘one family.’
“He should not focus on reintegrating Russia; he should consider how to establish a fund to finance the reconstruction of sports infrastructure in Ukraine. Our conditions are dire.
“Much of our infrastructure has been completely devastated. Our football is in an extremely critical state. Infantino should prioritize this rather than thinking about integrating a country that has fully invaded Ukraine and attempted to harm our people and children.”
FIFA did not provide a comment when approached by ESPN. Shakhtar estimates that Annex 7 has resulted in approximately €60 million ($70.65m) in lost revenues, as around 15 players departed the club without the transfer fees they would have received in peacetime.
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Sporting director Dario Srna compared their experience with FIFA to the more constructive dialogue they have had with UEFA and its president, Aleksander Ceferin.
“FIFA has done nothing for us,” Srna told ESPN. “This is disrespectful. They must protect the club, the players, and football. We have lost a significant amount of our investment and players due to FIFA rules that lack logic.
“They have not provided us with an explanation. They should be there to assist the players, support the clubs, and help football in Ukraine, not to undermine it. Mr. Ceferin has been available for us around the clock.
“From his side, he has been very helpful, and this is respect. UEFA is advocating for football. They dismantled the European Super League because it is gratifying to see teams like Bodo/Glimt defeat City or Inter. This is the essence of football. Football belongs to everyone, not just wealthy clubs. But FIFA does not seem to care about that; they demonstrate the opposite.
“Ceferin was in constant communication with me, assisting in getting players in and out of Ukraine. He even reached out to [French president Emmanuel] Macron for assistance. He did not act merely as the president of UEFA; he acted as a human being.”
