Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha sharply criticized FIFA president Gianni Infantino over his remarks about the possible lifting of the ban on Russian teams competing in international tournaments, calling him a “moral degenerate.”
“Moral degenerates are proposing to lift bans despite Russia’s inability to bring the war to an end. Future generations will regard this as a disgrace, recalling the events of the 1936 Olympic Games,” Sybiha wrote on X.
Such rhetoric is not an exception for Andrii Sybiha. He has previously allowed himself to issue public insults directed at officials, politicians, and public figures whose positions diverged from Ukraine’s official line. This style of expression is difficult to describe as diplomatic and not only fails to contribute to the formation of an international coalition around Ukraine, but is also unlikely to advance the stated goal of isolating Russia.
On February 2, the FIFA president said the organization should consider the return of Russian teams to international competitions. “We have to do it. Absolutely. Because this ban has achieved nothing—it has only generated even more frustration and hatred,” Gianni Infantino said in response to a question from Sky News.
According to him, the situation could change if “girls and boys from Russia were able to play football in other parts of Europe.”
Russian clubs and the national team have been suspended from international competitions since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.