Russian football star to miss Poland match after entry ban
Footballer Magomed-Shapi Suleymanov has been prevented from traveling with Hapoel Be’er Sheva for their UEFA Europa Conference League match against Lech Poznan this week because of Poland’s entry restrictions for Russians.
Suleymanov, 22, is on loan at Hapoel Be’er Sheva from Russian club Krasnodar but the Israelis will have to do without his services for their game on Thursday.
According to reports in Israel, despite the efforts of Suleymanov’s team to receive clearance for him to enter Poland, they have had no success.
“[Hapoel Be’er Sheva] are still trying to get permission to add Suleymanov to the flight, but the chances of that happening are nil,” Walla Sport reported.
Poland was among the EU countries to impose stringent restrictions on the entry of Russians last month, even preventing those with existing Schengen visas from traveling to the country.
Suleymanov, who hails from Dagestan, burst onto the scene as a teenager in Russia and was tipped for big things thanks to his eye-catching performances on the wing.
His progress has stalled in recent years, leading to a loan spell at Giresunspor Kulubu in Türkiye before a move to Israel during the current season.
Suleymanov has made six appearances for his new team in the Israeli Premier League thus far, scoring twice and providing one assist.
He also featured in Hapoel Be’er Sheva’s UEFA Europa Conference League Group C matches against Villareal and Austrian Wien.
Russian teams have been banned from all UEFA competitions this season due to the conflict with Ukraine, meaning they are unable to feature in the Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League, among other tournaments.
