The conflicts of recent years have disrupted the smooth running of UEFA, the governing body of European football. Faced with shifting geopolitical paradigms, UEFA has had to create ad hoc rules for the participation and suspension of teams and associations, some of which have been accused of lacking fairness and equity.

In recent hours, it has emerged that FairSquare, a non-profit organisation, has raised concerns about the creation of ad hoc rules that lead to double standards. FairSquare, whose aim is to prevent sporting institutions and competitions from contributing to harm and suffering, has called on UEFA to immediately clarify the rules that govern the suspension of teams from its competitions.

UEFA has suspended most Russian teams from its competitions since February 2022 due to the conflict in Ukraine. However, at the UEFA Congress in February 2024, UEFA General Secretary Theodore Theodoridis refused to consider similar action against Israeli teams, stating that Russia and Israel were "two completely different situations". He suggested that the Hamas attacks of 7 October absolved Israel of responsibility for its actions in Gaza.

The different responses to serious violations of international law by Russia and Israel highlight the need for clear and objective rules and procedures, FairSquare said.

The comments by Aleksander Ceferin and Theodore Theodoridis also appear to contradict UEFA's arguments before the Court of Arbitration for Sport, where UEFA claimed that its response to Russia's aggression was not disciplinary in nature. This raises further questions about the different standards applied to Russia and Israel.

Suggesting that the current situation reflects a clear double standard, FairSquare's letter asks for clarification of the rules and guidelines that guide UEFA's response to both situations:

1.- Has UEFA formulated any rules or sought expert legal advice to guide its response to serious violations of international law by states with UEFA member associations?

2.- Does UEFA have an official position or policy on whether and when violations of international law should lead to the suspension of a country's national and club teams from UEFA competitions? If not, are there any plans to develop such a policy?

3.- Is it UEFA's official position that because Israel's actions in Gaza are in response to the Hamas attacks of 7 October, UEFA will not sanction Israel regardless of how unlawful or disproportionate its reprisals in Gaza may be?

Nicholas McGeehan, Co-Director of FairSquare, said: "UEFA acted swiftly and decisively in the case of Russia's illegal war on Ukraine, but appears to have no reservations about credible and ongoing allegations of genocide as a result of Israel's demonstrably illegal and disproportionate actions in Gaza.

Finally, FairSquare urged UEFA, as an influential sports organisation, to base its decisions at such moments on consistent and objective criteria and to apply them to all its member associations.

Read the full letter here.