UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin addressed the possibility of excluding Israeli teams from European football competitions due to the war in Gaza in an interview with Belgian website Politico, expressing strong opposition to such a move. "What happens to civilians there affects me personally, it kills me," Čeferin said, "but I don't support excluding athletes. What can an athlete do to stop a war? It's almost impossible. I don't think this is the way, sports should not be used as a tool for political punishment."