Despite last month's debate about leaving UEFA to join the AFC, in the end the same sentiment that has prevailed since the start of the conflict with Ukraine prevailed: to stay in UEFA despite sanctions.

Just like last year, it was decided to stay in UEFA. "We will fight for Europe. Russia is Europe. We will win," Russian Football Union vice-president Akhmed Aydamirov was quoted as saying by state news agency TASS. He added: "We have decided not to leave (UEFA) for Asia. Everyone unanimously supported this decision. 

Russia has been banned from taking part in UEFA-organised competitions since since the sanction was imposed four days after the start of the conflict with Ukraine in February 2022. 

The giant Eurasian country has 75 per cent of its territory in Asia, although historically it has been part of Europe, with its capital and major cities on the European side of the border, meaning that it has always played under the wing of a European confederation or association.

If the RFS had decided to leave UEFA and join the AFC, it would have been able to return to competition, but at a lower sporting level and a much lower economic level, as Russian clubs would have had to forgo the substantial income, not to mention the prestige, that comes from participating in European competitions such as the Champions League.

Moreover, there were no guarantees that FIFA would readily accept world's largest country moving from Europe to Asia, and in the current climate it would be better to wait a while to try to resolve the situation.