Amid the continuing violence in Gaza, UEFA President and European football icon Aleksander Ceferin has responded to the possibility of barring the Israeli national team and clubs from participation in European competitions.
The Gaza war has killed around 65,000 people as of the end of August 2025, according to reports. In terms of football, neither UEFA nor FIFA have banned Israel from competing, as they have with Russia.
When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, UEFA and FIFA joined forces to prevent the former from participating in competitions. Russia attempted to appeal the suspension six times, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed all of them.
UEFA President Ceferin on the Prospect of Barring Israel from Football Competition
Despite the current conflict, Israeli top division winners Maccabi Tel Aviv will be able to compete in the Europa League this season, with Zarko Lazetic’s team facing Aston Villa, VfB Stuttgart, and Olympique Lyonnais in the league phase.
Internationally, Norway has declared that proceeds from their forthcoming 2026 World Cup qualifier will be donated to a “humanitarian cause” in Gaza as a mark of solidarity with Palestine. The Israel Football Association responded to The Telegraph by pointing out that hundreds of Israeli citizens and children had also died.
In a more recent interview, Ceferin stated that he opposes athlete bans. His reasoning revolves around his conviction that athletes are not to responsible for such events, citing the fact that the war in Ukraine did not come to an end after Russia’s suspension. Speaking with POLITICO, the 57-year-old stated:
“Look, first and foremost, what is happening to citizens there is personally causing me harm and death. On the other hand, I do not endorse banning athletes. Because, what can an athlete do to persuade their nation to end the war? It’s extremely hard. Now, I believe the ban for Russian teams is three and a half years. Did the [Russia-Ukraine] battle end? It did not.
In his temporary office at Monaco’s Le Meridien Beach Plaza hotel, Ceferin slammed world leaders before claiming that football cannot address these issues.
“I cannot understand how a politician who can do a lot to stop the slaughter, anywhere, can go to sleep seeing all the children and all the civilians dead,” according to him. “I do not comprehend it. You know, the concept that football could fix these issues? “No way.”
Ceferin was also questioned about a similar matter by Slovenian TV in August. In an attempt to stay cryptic, he said: “I think the time has come when we have to stop pretending that we are a sports organisation that lives on another planet.”
Ceferin stood beside two Palestinian children who handed out medals at the event where a banner reading, “STOP KILLING CHILDREN – STOP KILLING CIVILIANS,” was unfurled last month, after Paris Saint-Germain defeated Tottenham Hotspur on penalties in the UEFA Super Cup final.
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