Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, UEFA has paid Russian football clubs more than €10 million in solidarity payments.

Source : The Guardian

Details : Solidarity payments are intended to support clubs that do not qualify for European competitions, helping to maintain competitive balance in domestic leagues. Despite being banned from international competitions, Russian clubs have continued to receive these funds.

According to the figures, the Russian Football Union (RFU) received €3.305 million in the 2022-2023 season, €3.381 million in 2023-2024, and €4.244 million in 2024-2025. In the 2021-2022 season – before the ban – the amount was €6.209 million.

Meanwhile, five Ukrainian clubs – Chornomorets and Real Pharma (Odesa), Metalurh (Zaporizhzhia), Feniks-Mariupol, and Metalist 1925 (Kharkiv) – sent a letter to UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin on 27 July, complaining about delayed solidarity payments for the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 seasons.

The clubs were reportedly told that the delays were due to "unclear requirements of a bank in Switzerland, which allegedly relate to the geographical location of the football clubs in the ‘war zone’".

Background : UEFA last week sanctioned FC Oleksandriia for the "racist behaviour" of its fans during a match against FK Partizan.

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