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Russian clubs will be banned from signing Turkish players during the upcoming winter break. Relations between the countries have been strained since a Russian warplane was shot down by Turkish forces on the Syrian border, killing one pilot. Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko told R-Sport news agency that clubs had “already got the message”.

“If anyone wants [to sign a Turkish player] during the break, there’ll not be such a possibility,” he said. Mutko said the sports sanctions would not affect Turkish players currently playing for Russian soccer clubs, such as Rubin Kazan’s midfielder Gokde “They won’t be here in the future but at the moment they’ve contracts and these will not be looked into.”

Mutko added that Turkish companies already involved in constructing stadiums for the 2018 World Cup in Russia would be allowed to continue. The sports ministry has also recommended that Russian football clubs cancel winter training camps to Turkey. Several sides, including Lokomotiv Moscow, Spartak Moscow, FC Krasnodar and Kuban Krasnodar, have said they would heed the advice.

In addition, Mutko has confirmed that Russian athletes will be able to participate in tournaments organised in Turkey, with maximum security ensured.

He said that the measures that Russia is taking against Turkey will not impact on the calendar of international sports federations. — BBCSport