UEFA holds off on banning Belarus despite EU pressure

UEFA held off taking any decision to ban Belarus from its competitions due to its support of Russia's invasion of Ukraine at its meeting in Lisbon this week despite pressure from EU lawmakers.

The item was on the agenda of an executive committee meeting of European football's governing body but for now Belarus has only been stripped of the hosting rights of the 2025 Women's Under-19 European Championship.

That means its clubs can still compete in European competitions, and the country's senior men's national team can continue to take part in Euro 2024 qualifying.

"I said the matter would be discussed and I also said that only the executive committee could make a decision and nobody else," said UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin.

"We had a discussion, we have taken away the organisation of the Women's Under-19 European Championship.

"For the rest we will study the situation and we will see what we decide at the next executive committee meeting on June 28."

In mid-March more than a hundred EU lawmakers called on UEFA to expel Belarus.

Russia was expelled from all club and international competitions by UEFA last year following the invasion, but Belarus is involved in the qualifiers for Euro 2024, which it began with losses to Switzerland and Romania last month.

They are due to play further qualifiers against Israel and Kosovo in June.