German politicians urge UEFA to add Belarus to Russian exclusion ahead of Euro 2024 draw

September 20 - Hosts Germany have asked UEFA to exclude Russian ally Belarus from Euro 2024 qualifying competition.

In a letter to UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser also called for the suspension of Russian and Belarusian officials from UEFA itself, according to a Spiegel article confirmed by a ministry spokesperson.

UEFA have so far only ruled out Russia following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. But Faeser said that "not only Russia, which is waging a war in violation of international law, but also Belarus, as the main supporter of the Russian leadership, should be excluded from all international football matches and tournaments." /p>

The world of sport must "live up to its responsible role and take a united stand against this form of disregard for human rights", she added.

The request came three weeks before Germany staged the qualifying draw in Frankfurt.

UEFA and FIFA banned all Russian teams from international competitions in February days after the military invasion of Ukraine. The following month, UEFA banned Belarusian teams from hosting matches on its territory, but failed to secure a total ban on competition.

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