The International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) responded to a complaint regarding the image of a map of Ukraine without the temporarily occupied Crimea before the draw for the European qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
This was reported by URA-Inform with reference to the Ukrainian Football Association.
“We acknowledge receipt of your letter of 13 December 2024 and would like to thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. We deeply respect the concerns expressed by the Ukrainian Football Association and understand the sensitivity of this matter,” FIFA said in a statement.
The organization assured that the infographic map in question was developed by a third party – an external contractor for the provision of relevant services.
“Once we discovered the issue, we took immediate steps to resolve the situation, including taking steps to remove the image from circulation. We are also conducting an internal review to ensure that such errors do not recur in the future,” FIFA said in a statement.
The football organization stressed that it is fully aware of the sensitivity of the matter, “and although the incident was unintentional, we sincerely regret any moral damage it may have caused.” FIFA also said that it values mutual understanding as it “works responsibly to resolve this situation.”
“Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require further clarification or would like to discuss this matter further,” — said the letter, which was signed by the head of the department of interaction with FIFA member associations Elkhan Mamedov.
It also became known that changes will occur in the management structure of Dynamo: the club intrigued with the message.
