UEFA - Petition to ban Israel: 48 athletes take a stand, including Rayan Kolli

UEFA: Rayan Kolli and 47 other athletes sign petition to exclude Israel

UEFA - Petition to ban Israel: 48 athletes take a stand, including Rayan Kolli

The ongoing war in Gaza continues to spark reactions across the sports world. As UEFA prepares to possibly vote on suspending the Israeli federation, a group of 48 athletes has taken a bold step: signing a petition calling for Israel and its clubs to be banned from all international competitions. According to the BBC, this petition, which denounces alleged war crimes and calls for sanctions, has been signed by several prominent figures, including Paul Pogba, currently recovering at AS Monaco, Hakim Ziyech, and former Ipswich captain Sam Morsy. Their goal is clear: to pressure governing bodies to impose the same measures on Israel as those enforced on Russia since the conflict in Ukraine.

Rayan Kolli joins Pogba and Ziyech

This initiative has also seen the involvement of Algerian player Rayan Kolli. The 20-year-old U20 international has publicly shown his support for the Palestinian cause by adding his name to the petition. It's a symbolic yet powerful gesture from a rising star, joining other personalities from various sports, such as cricketer Moeen Ali. For the signatories, this is a true alarm call in the face of a conflict that, according to several NGOs, has already claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.

Meanwhile, UEFA is set to decide this week on the possible immediate exclusion of Israel from its competitions. The executive committee, consisting of 20 members, could usher in a historic turning point in European football history with its vote.