The lack of political pressure allowed Israeli clubs to stay in European competition

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin suggested that a lack of political pressure prevented Israeli clubs from being expelled from European competitions.

The Russian clubs were prohibited following the invasion of Ukraine by the country in February 2022, but the same sanction was not applied to Israel despite the atrocities currently made in Gaza.

Asked to explain the difference, Ceferin told Politico: “Listen, first of all, what is happening with civilians, there is personally evil, killing me. It is impossible to see these things.

“From the other point of view, I am not a supporter of the ban on athletes. Because can an athlete do his government to stop war? It is very, very difficult.

“Now the ban on Russian teams is, I think, three and a half years. Has war stopped?

“I can’t say what’s going to happen. There are discussions on everything, but I personally, I am against the kick for athletes. ”

The expulsion of the teams creates other problems – Ceferin

Ceférin cited the example of Yugoslavia when they were expelled from Euro 1992 after the country’s dissolution and the war that followed.

The Slovenian added: “The former Yugoslavia player, (Dejan) Savićević, who is now president of the Montenegro football federation, he said that in 1992, when Yugoslavia was forbidden to play the European championship, they (the players) were all against (Slobodan) Milošević.

“They were all against the system. The system was undemocratic and so on. But they were expelled. And due to political sanctions, the result was hatred against the West that remains. In Serbia, for example, if you go to a referendum on NATO, 80% will be against it.

“So, for me, sport should try to show the way but not by prohibiting athletes from competing. But to be honest, once again, with war, Russia-Ukraine, we had an almost hysterical political reaction. We were among the first to act, really believing that sport could help end this tragedy. Sadly, life has shown us otherwise. Now I don’t see a lot of reaction from politics. From civil society, it’s huge.

“And I can’t understand how a politician who can do a lot to stop the massacre, anywhere, can go sleeping when he saw all children and all dead civilians. I don’t understand it. You know, the idea that football should solve these problems? No question.”

The Super Cup banner did not target Israel

UEFA was criticized for having displayed a banner before the super cup confrontation between Paris Saint -Germain and Tottenham who said: “Stop killing children – stop killing civilians.”

He was considered a direct message to Israel, but Ceférin said it was more general plea.

He added: “We have an UEFA foundation for children. We do not live on another planet. We live in this world. And when you see children die around the world because of – it is a diplomatic statement, if I say – reckless politicians. Whoever thinks that “stop killing children, stop killing civilians” is a political message is an idiot, for me.

“It is terrible that children die because of political interest, hungry. Mohamed, who gave the medals with me (at the Super Cup), lost his mother and his father. And he was heavily injured. I have never seen a child who hugs me as much as him. He needs love. He does not need another bomb on his head because of a geopolitical interest.

“But from the other point of view, you know, politics is everywhere. When you show your Scottish flag, it is politics. But we do not interfere in politics, but we will not say that killing children or civilians is a good thing. We must say that we despise him, and we will always say.

“But you know what happened at the end? I received letters from the extreme populist organization of Israel that, because of this, we are anti-Semites. From the other point of view, I am obtained from extremely left and pro-Palestinian groups.

“So, you know, in life probably on several occasions, it is the best to do nothing. But if such a great thing happens, one thing so terrible that does not allow me to sleep – not me, all my colleagues – nobody in this organization said that we should not do it. No one. So you have to do what is the right thing to do.”

Israel also remains in international competition. Friday, they faced a double head of the World Cup over the next week, visiting Moldova before a home match against Italy which will take place in the Hungarian city of Debrecen.