UEFA is expected to convene an “extraordinary meeting” as it looks into the future of one of its top brokers and a leading member of the Supreme Council.
Russian oil boss Alexander Dyukov is a central figure in the organization’s Executive Committee (ExCo) and until now Putin invasion of Ukraine was his second most influential figure.
UEFA’s executive board is the powerful base of all of European football, where all key decisions are made and managed by a board of 19 members, including President Alexander Cheferin.
As CEO and chairman of Gazprom and president of the Russian Football Union (RFU), Dyukov was responsible for investing tens of millions of pounds in UEFA as sponsorship money.
With the exception of UEFA, Alexander Cheferin-Dyukov had unparalleled power due to Gazprom’s £ 35million-dollar deal with Gazprom as a major Champions League partner.
Asked by Sportsmail whether UEFA intends to sanction or remove the Russian, the European governing body said it was considering measures “from a factual and legal point of view”.
However, he also stressed that Dyukov remains a member of his steering committee, despite last week’s outburst condemning UEFA’s removal from the Champions League final by his hometown of St. Petersburg.
His continued presence on the top board has so far escaped wider attention and there seems to be a reluctance to remove him before the legal consequences are properly considered.
UEFA is expected to convene a meeting while considering the future of Alexander Dyukov
Russian oil boss Dyukov is a central figure on the organization’s Executive Committee (ExCo)
Incredibly, UEFA has not discussed his position at the highest level, and Dyukov is still central to the decision-making of the organization’s 19-member executive director.
In a statement to Sportsmail, UEFA confirmed that the current measures against Putin’s Russia “do not affect Russian officials on the UEFA Executive Committee and the UEFA committees or panels.”
However, he added: “Please note that UEFA continues to assess the development of the situation (Dyukov and other Russians) from a factual and legal point of view.
“In this sense, the UEFA Executive Committee may convene extraordinary meetings when necessary to take and adopt additional decisions if it deems it necessary.”
His position was called into question after Vladimir Putin’s invasion (center) of Ukraine
When it was further demanded why Dyukov was not stopped or removed by UEFA after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or what the deadline for such actions might be, the organization did not respond.
Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Alexander Dyukov was one of the most powerful figures in the European game – after his promotion to ExCo last year.
It is strongly believed that Dyukov organized a last-minute offer for Euro 2028, which Russia wants to coincide with the 10th anniversary of hosting the 2018 World Cup.
Such an offer is now impossible, given Russia’s ban on all competing UEFA and FIFA competitions, leaving the United Kingdom and Ireland free to participate as the only viable bidding option for the tournament.
It is difficult to understand why UEFA still has some reluctance to remove Dyukov from power now that Russia has been eliminated and banned from all competitions, and Gazprom has been removed as a key sponsor.
Uefa ExCo is the powerful base of all European football, where all key decisions are made and managed by a board of 19 members, including President Alexander Cheferin (above)
Dyukov remains a member of its governing committee, despite an outbreak last week condemning UEFA’s removal from the Champions League final by his hometown of St. Petersburg.
The 53-year-old oil tycoon is very popular among UEFA’s management and, according to a UEFA source, “above all, Alexander was perceived as a very nice man, respected as a businessman and as a man.”
Last Friday, Dyukov complained that the decision by the governing body of European football to remove the Champions League final from his hometown was a violation of the “sporting principle”.
In a statement issued by the RFU, he said: “We believe that the decision to move to the place of the Champions League final is dictated by political reasons. The RFU has always adhered to the principle “sport is out of politics” and therefore cannot support this decision. “
“RFU also does not support the decision to transfer matches with Russian teams to neutral territory, as it violates the sporting principle and harms the interests of players, coaches and fans.”
Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Alexander Dyukov (C) was one of the most powerful figures in the European game – after being promoted to ExCo last year.
The last high-ranking ExCo member to be forced off the UEFA board was John Delaney, who shamefully resigned in January 2020.
Delaney is watching the collapse of Irish football, where he and the Board of the Irish Football Association were responsible for a € 65 million debt and are currently being investigated by the Irish authorities.
His departure came four months after he was forced to leave Irish football, and even then UEFA shone in praise for the now London-based former chief executive.
In a statement that terrified UEFA at the time, the organization’s leadership praised the Irishman for his “leading role” and for being an “important figure” before wishing him “good in the future”.