Despite looming Ban by the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (Wada) ,Russia will be able to compete at Euro 2020 even if a four-year ban from sporting events comes into effect.
According to BBC sports, Russia will be allowed to contest in the UEFA euro’s as they will only be banned from major competitions if found guilty by the court of arbitration which would not include the European Championship as Uefa is not defined as a ‘major event organisation’ in regards to rulings on anti-doping breaches.
The World Anti-Doping Agency’s (Wada) compliance review committee (CRC) recommended Russia be banned from hosting and competing in major international events on Monday.
Russia’s Anti-Doping Agency (Rusada) was declared non-compliant over inconsistencies in anti-doping data.
St Petersburg will also remain as a host city at next summer’s tournament.
If the ban is upheld by Wada’s executive committee at a meeting in Paris on 9 December, and backed by the Court of Arbitration should Russia contest it, it would not include the European Championship as Uefa is not defined as a ‘major event organisation’ in regards to rulings on anti-doping breaches.
Russia’s participation in qualification for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar would, however, be under threat.
A statement from football’s governing body Fifa on Tuesday read: “We will await the final considerations of the Wada executive committee on this matter until any potential material decision is taken by Fifa.”
Russia also faces exclusion from the Olympic and Paralympic summer and winter games in 2020 and 2022, though individual athletes would be cleared to compete if able to demonstrate they are not implicated in any way by the non-compliance.
