Former Lokomotiv Moscow and Italian side Roma player Sergei Gurenko has called on Russia not to withdraw from the European Football Union (UEFA). The former Belarusian national footballer expressed confidence that there will not be many teams in Asia that will come to play with aggressors.

Gurenko said this in an interview with the propaganda TV channel Match TV. He made the usual Russian suggestion to be patient and cowardly expressed the hope that "all these events in Ukraine will end soon", without using the word war.

"I don't know all the secrets, but honestly, I would be patient. I'd like to see all these events in Ukraine end soon. You think about that more than football. Why go to Asia? You go and five countries will say: "We don't want to play with Russia". It will be a mess. I think we need to create conditions and chances for young people in Russia. Plus, there are friendly matches to prepare for the future," Gurenko said.

Earlier, the legendary goalkeeper of Spartak Moscow, Rinat Dasayev, said "Europe is ours" and opposed Russia's withdrawal from UEFA and the country's move to Asia.

As OBOZREVATEL previously reported, former Russian national team goalkeeper Vyacheslav Malafeev spoke of "Russian character that Europeans will never have" and became a laughingstock online.

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