Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu, president of the Turkish Football Federation, wrote a letter to world leaders on Friday, pleading that “it is now time for FIFA and UEFA to act.” He also mentioned the world’s and Europe’s football governing bodies.
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According to Turkiye’s state-run Anadolu news agency, “the sporting world and football institutions have remained silent for far too long,” Haciosmanoglu said.
We feel compelled to express our deep concern about the State of Israel’s unlawful (and, more importantly, completely inhumane and unacceptable) situation in Gaza and its surrounding areas, he added.
The men’s football team of Israel is currently attempting to qualify for the upcoming World Cup, which is co-hosted by Mexico, the United States, and Canada, and UEFA is preparing to vote on whether to suspend them.
If a vote is called, the 20-member UEFA ruling committee is expected to find a majority to force Israel to be removed from games.
Russia’s national team was banned by both UEFA and FIFA in 2022 following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, which is now causing a stir.
48 well-known professional athletes also requested by UEFA on Friday that Israel be removed from all football competitions because of its assault on Palestinians in Gaza.
48 of the 48 signatories to a statement published under the name Athletes 4 Peace called for Israel’s suspension, included France’s Paul Pogba and England’s Moeen Ali.
We as professional athletes with diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and faiths must uphold the values of justice, fairness, and humanity, the statement read.
The athletes’ signatories of Athletes for Peace call on UEFA to immediately ban Israel from all international competitions until it stops killing civilians and causes widespread starvation, according to the athletes.
The Palestinian Pele, or Suleiman al-Obeid, was killed last month when Israeli forces attacked civilians in southern Gaza, according to the statement.
After being kicked out of the Asian Football Confederation two decades ago in a vote initiated by Kuwait and supported by other Arab nations, Israel has been a full member of UEFA since 1994.
It was eliminated in the group stage without winning a game, which was the 1970 men’s World Cup competition in Mexico.
The US Department of State stated on Thursday that it would “absolutely work to completely stop any attempt to ban Israel’s national football team” from the World Cup in the coming year.
Israel can’t compete in FIFA-run World Cup qualifiers, despite UEFA’s ability to prevent it from playing games related to European competitions.
Gianni Infantino, the FIFA head, is known for his friendly relations with President Donald Trump, who is in town to meet with him in March. As a result, he is unlikely to support an Israeli suspension.
Source: Aljazeera
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