Following a meeting of its Executive Committee in Limassol, Cyprus, on Tuesday, UEFA announced that it would look into opportunities for Russia’s youth teams to compete again for the first time since the nation’s invasion of Ukraine.

After the invasion, which Moscow refers to as a “special military operation,” UEFA announced in February 2022 that all Russian teams, whether they were club or national teams, would be barred from competing in their leagues.

Additionally, UEFA ended its collaboration with Gazprom, a Russian energy business.

UEFA stated in a statement on Tuesday that it was “conscious that youngsters should not be punished for activities for which alone adult responsibility exists.

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“For these reasons, the UEFA Executive Committee has decided that Russian teams of minor players will be readmitted to its competitions in the course of this season.

“The Executive Committee has asked the UEFA administration to propose a technical solution that would enable the reinstatement of the Russian U17 teams (both girls and boys) even when draws have already been held.”

Russian teams’ games would be held outside of the country and not use the national anthem, flag, or uniform, according to UEFA.

“By banning children from our competitions, we not only fail to recognise and uphold a fundamental right for their holistic development but we directly discriminate against them,” UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said.

In addition, UEFA named Armand Duka as Luis Rubiales’ replacement as president of the Spanish Federation (RFEF).

After kissing Jenni Hermoso on the lips during Spain’s World Cup victory last month, which infuriated players and supporters, Rubiales resigned as a vice president of the soccer organisation.

As the president of Albania’s football association, Duka has served on the UEFA Executive Committee since 2019.