Estonian football clubs demand an end to russia's ‘solidarity payments’ and the country's exclusion from UEFA

According to The Guardian, since russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, UEFA has allocated €10.8 million in ‘solidarity payments’ to russian clubs. In addition, the russian Football Union retains its membership in the organisation, and the country receives points for the club coefficient table despite the suspension of local clubs from competitions.

Estonian football clubs have asked the EFS to organise an extraordinary meeting to consider one issue: an appeal to UEFA regarding the financing of russian clubs and russia's membership in the European organisation.

EFS members intend to ask UEFA to suspend ‘solidarity payments’ to russian clubs, ensure that funds are transferred to Ukrainian teams, and begin the process of expelling the russian federation.

The request to convene an extraordinary meeting was submitted by 13 Estonian clubs, including the current national champion Levadia and the third top team in the local championship, Pärnu.

‘While russia continues its full-scale war in Ukraine, its combat drones fly over Poland, and its fighter jets provoke Estonia's airspace, millions of euros are paid out annually from our joint football fund to support their clubs,’ said Paide president Veiko Veskimäe.

‘Some clubs that have received UEFA solidarity payments are directly linked to individuals under sanctions or to the russian political elite. This is unacceptable, and our goal is for international football to be governed by justice and the values for which football exists in the first place: fair play, equality and solidarity.’

The clubs sent a request to the board of the Estonian Football Association to convene an extraordinary general meeting. According to clause 19.1.2 of the EFA's statutes, the board is obliged to convene such a meeting if at least one tenth (1/10) of the EFA's members submit a written and reasoned request to that effect. At the time of the request, according to the Sports Register, the EFA had 110 members.

According to The Guardian, five Ukrainian clubs were unable to receive ‘solidarity payments’ from UEFA, citing their location in a ‘war zone’. The list includes Odessa's Chornomorets and Real Pharma, Zaporizhia's Metalurh, Feniks-Mariupol and Kharkiv's Metalist 1925.

The president of the Estonian Football Association, Aivar Pohlak, is a member of the UEFA Executive Committee. Delfi adds that in August, five Estonian clubs approached the EFA and Pohlak regarding the organisation's next steps, but did not receive a response to their request.

Source: Suspilne Sport