'I don't have respect for him' - Shakhtar Donetsk chief Darijo Srna slams FIFA president Gianni Infantino over lack of support for Ukrainian clubs
Shakhtar Donetsk sporting director Darijo Srna has launched a scathing attack on FIFA president Gianni Infantino over the governing body's treatment of Ukrainian football during the ongoing war. The former Croatia captain accused world football's leaders of failing to protect domestic teams and challenged the chief to visit the country himself.
Croatian chief criticises global body
Srna has demanded that Infantino travel to Ukraine and provide genuine backing for the nation's clubs during an interview with talkSPORT. While Russian sides have been banned from UEFA and FIFA tournaments since the full-scale invasion in February 2022, world football's governing body permitted Russia to enter a youth side at last month's inaugural Under-15 World Cup and Festival in Azerbaijan. That decision left the 134-cap former Croatia international deeply angered.
Ceferin praised amid commercial claims
Contrasting the world governing body's approach with that of UEFA head Aleksander Ceferin, Srna said: "FIFA is business. If you compare President Ceferin with Infantino, they are two different people. The one who likes football is Mr Ceferin. He protects all the clubs. He doesn't want to sell football to rich people. Football is for everyone, not just for rich people."
"FIFA, on the other hand, are doing business. We saw that at the World Cup. Unfortunately, they didn't protect one club from Ukraine during the war. What is their duty? They are there to protect football, to protect the clubs, to protect the players. But they didn't do anything. So I can just invite President Infantino one more time to visit Ukraine, and maybe he will change his mind after that. Until then, I don't have respect for him or for the whole of FIFA."
European return ruled out completely
Despite FIFA's youth tournament decision, Srna remains confident that Russian clubs will not return to European competition any time soon. No Russian team has featured in the Champions League since Zenit St Petersburg exited the 2021-22 group stage - a run that included a 1-0 loss at Chelsea - while Shakhtar have not faced Russian opposition since meeting Zenit in the 2011-12 groups.
"I think it's impossible under President Ceferin. I mean, how? How is it possible that a Russian team could come to play in England? Can you imagine that? Or in Germany, Poland, Spain or Italy? It's impossible, because they are living in their own world. They are not welcome in Europe. If you saw Chelsea play against Zenit at Stamford Bridge, it would be chaos. I don't believe Russian teams should be brought back into UEFA competitions until the war is over."
Stamford Bridge hosts European clash
Srna delivered his pointed remarks in London prior to Shakhtar's Champions League meeting with Portuguese side Sporting CP on Tuesday evening. Because of the ongoing conflict in their homeland, the 16-time Ukrainian champions are staging their European home fixtures at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge stadium throughout the current campaign. Securing a positive result in west London will be vital for the club's hopes of progressing in the tournament.
