Russia allowed to host Euro games

UEFA president Ceferin meets with Putin

DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY >> UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin visited Russian president Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on Wednesday after the World AntiDoping Agency confirmed that Russia will be allowed to host European Championship soccer games.

WADA’s compliance review committee has proposed banning Russia from hosting “major events” as part of a package of sanctions for Russia over alleged tampering with doping records. WADA’s executive board will vote on the recommendation Dec. 9.

However, the four European Championship games and the 2021 Champions League final, also in St. Petersburg, aren’t covered.

“As regards UEFA, the Euros is not a multi-sport major event or a world championship but rather a regional/continental single-sport event,” WADA spokesman James Fitzgerald told The Associated Press by email.

“So it is not affected by this recommendation.”

Putin discussed European Championship hosting plans with