The Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has accepted an offer to play an international friendly match with Russia, according to the Association’s official website.
Namely, the invitation for the match between the national teams of the two countries was sent by the Football Federation of Russia.
“The match will be played in Saint Petersburg, on November 19th,” it is stated on the official website of the Football Association of BiH.
Irfan Duric, vice-president of the Football Association of BiH, thinks that this decision is not the best option for BiH.
Sports journalist Bakir Tiro says that the decision of the Football Association of BiH is one of a series of “reckless moves” that can have far-reaching consequences.
“This looks to me like a certain pre-election trick of certain political parties in BiH that are very close, that is, even connected by nepotism to the very top of the association and its president. I can’t believe that they managed to do it, because Russia is suspended from the world and European football federations,” told Tiro.
He also believes that this decision could lead to a split in the BiH national team, and that this is certain.
Due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24th, the Russian national team and all football clubs, men’s and women’s, have been suspended from FIFA and UEFA competitions.
Russia also lost the right to run as host of the upcoming international championships. Similar measures for Russian clubs and the national team have been introduced in other sports as well, Radio Slobodna Evropa writes.
E.Dz.
