• Fifa's statutes prohibit any government or political interference in football affairs
• However, its reaction to Ukranian invasion betrays what Fifa stands for
Image: REUTERS
A fortnight ago, world football governing body, Fifa, suspended Kenya indefinitely over what it termed government interference in the affairs of the Football Kenya Federation.
Also affected was Zimbabwe, which has now been banished into the wilderness for the same reasons as Kenya. Fifa's axe had been a long time coming after Sports CS Amina Mohamed disbanded FKF and appointed a Caretaker Committee to handle football issues in the interim.
This is all good. After all, Fifa's statutes prohibit any government or political interference in football affairs. However, soon after Kenya and Zimbabwe's suspension, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops into Ukraine.
Reactions by the sports world, specifically football, have subsequently laid bare the hypocrisy that adorns the game. Various stakeholders have responded to the Russian invasion via punitive measures meant to pressure Putin into withdrawing his troops from his next-door neighbour.
One of these measures was to expel all Russian football clubs from European competitions. The immediate victim was Spartak Moscow, who were due to play German club RB Leipzig in the second leg of their Europa League knockout tie.
Furthermore, Russia will not be allowed to compete at November's World Cup in Qatar as well as the next edition of the Euros in 2024. German kit manufacturer, Adidas, have also cut ties with the national team.
War is never a solution to the world's problems — that is not in doubt. However, it is hypocritical for the football world to wholeheartedly embrace political interference when it suits them.
Whereas it was a crime for the Kenyan government to clean up football in Kenya, it is okay for Russian footballers and clubs to suffer the effects of a war they probably did not advocate in the first place.
It feels overly reactionary for Fifa to lump all Russians together and punish them regardless of their innocence. What happened to consistency in the application of the law?
Despite wielding the axe against Russia, Putin remains unmoved. Eventually, the ones to suffer will be the footballers as well as clubs that owe allegiance to the former Soviet Union.