MOSCOW- The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said on Wednesday that a recommendation to bar Russia from hosting major sporting events will not affect the Euro 2020 soccer championships or the 2021 Champions League final.
A WADA committee this week recommended Russia be handed a four-year ban from the Olympics and world championships in a number of sports and be barred from hosting major events.
Four Euro 2020 matches are taking place in St Petersburg, including a quarter-final, while the 2021 Champions League final will also take place in the Russian city.
“The Euros and the Champions League are not multi-sport major events or world championships but rather regional/continental single-sport events,” WADA said in a statement to Reuters. “So they are not affected by this recommendation.”
The WADA committee recommendations are part of a proposed sanctions package to punish Moscow for having provided the agency with doctored laboratory data.
WADA’s executive committee will rule on the recommendations on Dec. 9 in Paris.
The recommendations include having the signatories of the World Anti-Doping Code withdraw Russia’s right to host their events for a four-year period and re-assign them to another country “unless it is legally or practically impossible to do so.”
Earlier on Wednesday, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin told Russian President Vladimir Putin that the country would do a good job hosting European championship matches next year.
“The World Cup was organised perfectly,” Ceferin told Putin, referring to the month-long tournament held in Russia last year.
“It was organised perfectly and I’m sure you are capable of organising top events.”
(Content and photos syndicated via Reuters)
