The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has opened disciplinary proceedings in relation to the eligibility of the participation of Junior Moraes, a FC Shakhtar Donetsk player who has recently become a citizen of Ukraine, as a member of Ukraine’s national football team.
The protest was lodged by the Luxembourg Football Federation and the Portuguese Football Federation, which are rivals of Ukraine in the UEFA European Qualifiers, in connection with the participation of Moraes in matches against these teams, the UEFA said on its website on March 27.
The disciplinary proceedings have been instigated in accordance with Article 55 of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations. The protest has been submitted to the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body that will decide on the matter on the occasion of one of its next meetings, with the date yet to be confirmed.
As was reported, the UEFA European Qualifiers Luxembourg vs. Ukraine (1:2) game was played on March 25, 2019, and UEFA European Qualifiers Portugal vs. Ukraine (0:0) was played on March 22, 2019.
After the two UEFA Euro 2020 European Qualifiers matches, Ukraine tops the Group B standing with four points, followed by Luxembourg with three points and Portugal with two points. Serbia and Lithuania, which played one match, have one and zero points, respectively.
Junior Moraes, who was granted Ukrainian citizenship under a Ukrainian presidential decree, took part as a member of Ukraine’s national team in both matches.
