Russia banned for four years from all major sporting events over doping scandal - but can still compete in Euro 2020

Russia has been hit with a four-year ban from all major sporting events by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

But the Russians, who were part of Scotland's qualifying group, are clear to compete in the Euro 2020 football championship because European football's governing body UEFA is not recognised as a major event organisation in terms of rulings on anti-doping breaches.

St Petersburg is a designated host city for Euro 2020, but Russia will not be permitted to participate in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, or the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Athletes from Russia who can prove they have not been involved in the doping scandal will be able to compete under a neutral flag, with the Russian flag and national anthem banned from all major sporting events, according to the BBC,.

More than 160 Russian athletes competed under a neutral flag at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang after Russia was banned at the 2014 Games in Sochi.

Russia has been barred from competing as a nation in athletics events since 2015.

WADA's executive committee made the unanimous call during a meeting in Lausanne in Switzerland.

Russia's internal anti-doping agency RUSADA was declared "non-compliant" for tampering with data handed to investigators in January 2019.

It was told to hand over laboratory data to WADA as a condition of its controversial reinstatement in 2018 after a three-year suspension for the state-sponsored doping scandal.

Russia has 21 days to appeal the ban.