UEFA extend ban on Russian teams through next season, disqualify Russian Euro bids for 2028, 2032

In an executive committee meeting Monday UEFA determined that Russia’s suspension from UEFA competitions will be extended until further notice. That means that Russia’s bid for Euro 2028/32 has been deemed ineligible. The men’s national team will not be able to participate in Nations League and will place fourth in the group. This will also see them relegated at the end of the group stage to League C. 

The women’s team will be replaced at Euro 2022 by Portugal since that was the team Russia defeated in the playoffs. They will also not be able to qualify for the 2023 World Cup. All matches that they have played will be considered void and the qualifying groups will continue as a five team group that included Denmark, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Malta, and Azerbaijan. 

Champions league fallout from UEFA decision

The decision also means no Russian clubs will be participating in the various European club competitions, which means there are some major shifts in which teams from Europe qualify. The Scottish champion will now qualify directly for the group stage of the Champions League, while the runner up will enter in the third round of league path qualifying. The Turkish Super Lig champion will now enter in the playoff round instead of the third round of Championship path qualifying. This moves the winner of Denmark’s league into the third round and the Croatian and Swiss Champions will move up a round as well.

With no Russian teams that means there will be space for new entrants in the Champions League with the second-placed team in the Austrian Bundesliga and the second-placed team in the Scottish Premiership entering in the third round of league path qualifying.

In the women’s Champions League, the Luxembourg and Armenian champions will move into the first round of Champions Path qualifying, they were previously in the preliminary round. Russian clubs will also be assigned coefficient points equivalent to the lowest number that they’ve earned in the past five seasons. This will be 4.33  for men’s clubs and 1.750 for women’s clubs which could impact the future number of entrants into European competition.

Europa League and Europa Conference League

The cup winners from Turkey and Denmark will now qualify for the playoff round of the Europa league elevating the Serbian Cup winner from the playoffs of the Conference League to entering round three of Europa League qualifying. 

That impacts the conference league as the cup winners from Croatia, Switzerland, and Greece will now enter in the third round of qualifying for the conference league. The Cup winners from other various countries will also move into the second round of qualifying instead of the first round of qualifying where they were previously.

The full impact on youth leagues, Futsal, and other competitions can be found here.