German official Watzke: Russia's return to football not in discussion

German football top official Hans-Joachim Watzke sees no reason for a debate over the return of Russia to international competitions.

"The status quo hasn't changed. This is not a topic," he told dpa after the UEFA executive committee meeting in Belgrade on Wednesday.

Watzke, who's a spokesman of the German Football League leadership and also German Football Federation (DFB) vice president, said that Russia was not discussed during the meeting.

Russian teams have been banned from international events, including UEFA competitions, since Moscow invaded Ukraine in 2022.

DFB president Bernd Neuendorf has recently spoken against the return of Russian teams to competitions.

However, in view of the efforts to achieve a ceasefire, there have been at least behind-the-scenes talks in the European football ruling body circles about a possible end to the ban.

Russia is pushing for a return to the international stage and, according to reports, also has allies in UEFA circles, primarily from Eastern European countries.

UEFA president Aleksandar Ceferin has recently argued in favour of allowing Russian youth teams to return to enable young players to make contact with people outside Russia.