Russia meets UEFA looking for path back into world sports
By GRAHAM DUNBAR
AP Sports Writer
NYON, Switzerland (AP) — Russia is trying to make progress on its slow and difficult return to international sports at a meeting with UEFA officials. Russian Football Union vice president Aleksandr Alaev declined to comment afterward. They were the first face-to-face talks since Russia threatened last month to leave UEFA and seek to join Asian soccer. Russian teams are banned from UEFA and FIFA competitions during the war in Ukraine. There currently is no way back from those decisions that were upheld at CAS. Russia has better prospects in Olympic sports. IOC-hosted calls last week explored helping Russians compete in qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics.