Source:REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo
[Saba Sports News] Italian Football Association President Giovanni Gravina recently discussed the upcoming World Cup qualifier between Italy and Israel in a media interview. Despite ongoing calls from various quarters for FIFA and UEFA to suspend Israel due to the country’s current state of war, Gravina stated, “My stance on this is clear. As a person and a global citizen, I am deeply outraged by what I see. However, I cannot assume political responsibility; my responsibility lies in sports.” Although the Gaza conflict has sparked demands for Israel’s exclusion from international competitions, and 48 athletes, including Paul Pogba, have jointly signed a statement urging UEFA to suspend Israel’s eligibility, UEFA officials believe that imposing sports sanctions on Israel during peace negotiations is not the right course of action. They have temporarily shelved the motion to vote on banning Israel from European football, ensuring the match proceeds as planned. This reflects the sports organization’s respect for competition rules and established arrangements.