Per Israeli FA and UEFA sources, as well as Qatari officials active in European football, it’s very unlikely that UEFA will ban Israel this week.
Even if a vote is held by the executive committee, UEFA currently lacks the regulations and policy instruments to ban Israel over the recent escalation October 7 war.
The reports do show growing momentum behind calls to suspend Israel amid the war in Gaza. But sources stress a ban comparable to Russia’s is unlikely. The war’s timeline and circumstances are different, and so is the judicial process.
“Don’t hold your breath,” one source in the Israeli FA told me.
A Qatari source highlighted that while Qatar may have influence on the higher ranks of European football: “Qatar is not a member of UEFA, and it cannot impose a ban on Israel, or any other member association,” he said.
Again, a momentum is building, but if Israel would be banned this week, it would happen “only as a ‘fast break move’ together with a regulatory adaptation, which is unlikely to take place this week, can lead to such resolution (a ban)”, according to UEFA sources.