Clearly exasperated that months of talks failed to achieve the hoped-for breakthrough, UEFA have taken the ultimate step of banning clubs in the annexed Crimea region of Ukraine from playing in any Russian-organised football competitions.
Russia's War Against Ukraine
Inside World Football: UEFA ban Crimean clubs from playing in Russian leagues
UEFA Secretary-General Gianni Infantino gives a press conference on December 4, 2014 following a UEFA Executive Committee meeting at the UEFA headquarters, The House of European Football, in Nyon. Infantino announced that Crimean football clubs were on December 4 banned by UEFA from taking part in Russian championships starting from January 1.
