Armenian Sports Journalists Appeal to UEFA After Euro 2020 Accreditation Rejection

Armenian sports journalists have reached out to international football bodies following their accreditation rejection for Euro 2020. In an interview with Armenpress, sports journalist Karen Raphaelian stated that he originally received a letter from UEFA confirming his accreditation, which needed to be validated by the law enforcement agencies of the host countries.

“I received a letter the day before stating that, due to a decision from the law enforcement agencies of one of the host countries, I am no longer accredited. They, of course, do not specify which country rejected me. However, it becomes clear when I learn that my colleague David Yeghiazaryan received the same letter,” Raphaelian stated.

He noted that their situation is similar to that which occurred with Armenian commentator Nobel Arustamyan from the Russian television channel “Match TV.” Raphaelian emphasized that they have already sent a letter to UEFA to understand the reasons behind the rejection.

Karen Raphaelian has covered the matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. David Yeghiazaryan, a sports journalist for News.sport.am, is among the two journalists who received a rejection for the tournament. Yeghiazaryan pointed out that he had applied to UEFA last year, as per the procedure.

“On May 20, UEFA officially confirmed in writing that I was accredited to cover the Euro 2020 matches and had also sent links for accreditation for the events planned in Saint Petersburg. However, two days after the start of the European Championship, late on the evening of June 13, UEFA informed me that my accreditation had not been approved due to a decision from the police of one of the organizing countries. It is presumed that this was influenced by the organizing committee in Baku,” Yeghiazaryan explained.

“UEFA always emphasizes that football should be kept away from politics, yet it appears to turn a blind eye to such phenomena. It seems that Azerbaijani state bodies are prohibiting Armenian journalists from attending matches in Russia. This is, of course, unacceptable and a vivid manifestation of politicizing sports. We are now waiting for UEFA’s response. I hope the issue will be resolved,” he added.

The Football Federation of Armenia has also sent letters to the relevant bodies to clarify the situation. The Armenian Human Rights Defender is also interested in the matter.