Europe and Visa's

[mjn]

Just watching the mess that Moscow / Champions League / Visa's has developed into, and was just wondering if any other "European" country requires a Visa for entry for European Citizens?

 

[Ed Selley]

Belarus does (and its a bugger to get hold of). Ukraine also does depending on how long you are going for I think. No EU country does and in addition the Swiss behave in much the same way.

 

[mjn]

If Russia is not a European country, why is it allowed to enter the Champions League, and host a final?

 

[Ed Selley]

If Russia is not a European country, why is it allowed to enter the Champions League, and host a final?

"Europe" in a football sense is not limited to the EU. Same as Eurovision and the European Athletics meets.

 

[Iccz]

If Russia is not a European country, why is it allowed to enter the Champions League, and host a final?

Similar situation applies to Turkey, it's defined as being in "Eurasia", which is defined in the 6-continent Eurasia model, generally preferred by the scientific community. As it spans 2 continents europe and asia are split by the Ural mountains, which run through Russia, so technically part of Russia is in Europe. Countries like Israel also manage to get into European events such as the Eurovision song contest and I believe the European football.

I think Moscow is technically in Europe, so that's why it's allowed the final.

 

[Wild Weasel]

It's more to do with which body they are affiliated to. Israel is in the Eurovision Song Contest because they're members of the European Broadcasting Union. Russia, Israel and Turkey for that matter, are affiliated to UEFA.