​The FRF announced on Friday that Romania’s teams will not play any official or friendly matches against Russian teams, the decision was made on Friday by the Executive Committee after UEFA clarified that the country’s U17 teams will be able to return to competition.

>> Ukraine’s reaction to UEFA’s statement on the return of the Russian U17 national team to the competition

Romania will not play against Russia, FRF reports

“At the meeting of the Executive Committee today, September 29, 2023, UEFA decided to restore the Russian U17 national teams, women’s and men’s, to UEFA competitions” it is shown on the FRF website.

Regarding the decision of the UEFA Executive Committee of September 26, 2023 regarding the participation of the Russian Federation national teams under the age of 17, the FRF administration makes the following clarifications:

“The Romanian Football Federation understands the arguments put forward by the UEFA Executive Committee and agrees that under no circumstances should children suffer because of the careless actions of state authorities.

At the same time, the FRF believes that football and sports in general cannot be separated from the legal, institutional and economic values ​​that have transformed Europe into a space of peace, freedom and economic prosperity.

Therefore, the FRF believes that it should be in solidarity with the spirit of the sanctions approved by the European and national institutions and will not play any official or friendly match against the selected teams of the Russian Federation.

The FRF awaits the completion of the procedures for implementing this decision of the UEFA Executive Committee, being convinced that the competition regulations will respect the position of each national federation.”– says the FRF press release.

>> UEFA, an important announcement regarding the presence of Russian teams at the European Cups – Decision of the continental forum

The Russian national team U17, won by UEFA in competitions

On Tuesday, UEFA announced that it had decided, in agreement with the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA), to restore under-17 teams because “children should not be punished for actions for which adults are solely responsible.”

The executive committee of the European organization recognized that “it is particularly regrettable that, due to the continuation of the conflict, a generation of underage players is deprived of the right to participate in international football competitions.”

However, the matches of the Russian teams must be held “without the flag, anthem and official equipment of Russia” and “outside the Russian territory”, UEFA said.

The body also reiterated its “condemnation of the illegal war waged by Russia,” assuring that the suspension of all other teams from that country remain in force “until the end of the conflict in Ukraine.”

Before the decision on Tuesday, the Russians were excluded from all international football competitions, both club teams and national teams of Russia, after the invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops in February 2022, the decision was taken jointly by UEFA and FIFA, writes Agerpres.