Thursday marks exactly one month since Russia invaded neighboring Ukraine and declared war. A gruesome battle, with many civilian deaths, cities besieged and people trying to find a safe haven.
And yet, in recent weeks, the Football Association of Ukraine has had to deal with something that cannot seem further from reality: the play-offs for the World Cup to be held in Qatar at the end of this year. At the end of last month, the association asked FIFA to postpone the game with Scotland, which, like the other play-off matches for a World Cup ticket, was initially planned for this Thursday.
It would have been a challenge to get the Ukrainian players to travel to Hampden Park stadium in Glasgow under the current circumstances. Or even more difficult, to have the 23 selected football players train together before the game, FIFA wrote in a press release at the beginning of this month. At that time, fifteen players from the last Ukrainian selection were under contract with a club from the Premjer Liga, the highest Ukrainian football league. They haven’t played football for weeks – the national league has obviously come to a standstill since the Russian invasion.
The world football association FIFA honored the Ukrainians’ request. The duel with Scotland does not yet have a new date. The most suitable moment seems to be June, when matches for the Nations League are also on the program. The draw for the group stage of the World Cup has already been made. On Friday, April 1, there is a question mark on one of the balls that represent participating countries in the Qatari capital Doha.
Meaning of football
From Scotland, which, like Ukraine, was also active at the last European Football Championship, there was nothing but understanding for the postponement. “The importance and significance of football is greatly diminished in a time of war and our thoughts are with the Ukrainian citizens affected by the conflict,” said Ian Maxwell, head of the Scottish Football Association.
His colleague Cezary Kulesza of the Polish Football Federation already spoke out about the play-off match of his own national team the day after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Poland was linked to Russia in the draw, a battle the country would now under no circumstances engage in, Kulesza said. He found support from captain Robert Lewandowski. The Bayern Munich goal-scoring striker said he couldn’t imagine playing against a Russian national team when Ukrainian civilians were subjected to violence and aggression. The Russian footballers are not responsible for that, he added on Twitter. “But we can’t pretend that nothing is wrong.”
FIFA put an end to the uncertainty by banning Russian participation in international football at the beginning of this month. Road play-off game with Poland. Spartak Moscow was also kicked out of the Europa League. An unprecedentedly fast and decisive choice by FIFA standards.
In 2014, Russian soldiers also fought a war in Ukraine, then over Crimea. At the time, many voices in the football world went on to boycott Russia, which had been assigned the 2018 World Cup, in the sporting field. “FIFA must keep sports and politics separate,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a speech at the time. Russia was then allowed to organize the final tournament ‘normally’. In their own country, the national team reached the quarterfinals to the surprise of many.
The Russian football association RFS hoped earlier this month to freeze FIFA’s decision by appealing to the international sports tribunal CAS. Then the country could still participate in the play-offs and await any further developments. But the RFS also received no response from the CAS.
New capstone
Barring the current special circumstances, the play-off system is a new final piece in the always nerve-racking World Cup qualifying series. Only thirteen European countries qualify for a world championship, a European Championship has 24 participants. Where previously only the eight best numbers two of the qualifying groups competed for a World Cup ticket, well-performing countries from the Nations League now also compete. For Austria and the Czech Republic, this straw turned out to be a godsend.
With Russia excluded from the competition, 11 more countries have a chance to win the three places yet to be awarded to European countries – in addition to the ten national teams that have already qualified. The eleven countries are divided over three ‘paths’. Six semi-finals – over one match – determine who will compete for a World Cup ticket in the three finals, next Tuesday. Poland is therefore automatically placed for this. In the final, it will meet Sweden or the Czech Republic in their own country. Italy, which won the European Championship postponed by a year in 2021, and Portugal have also been condemned to each other’s path. One of these two countries is certainly not going to Qatar. The Italians first play against North Macedonia, Portugal meets Turkey.
The game between Wales and Austria will be played in Cardiff on Thursday. The winner would then receive Scotland or Ukraine in June. Then it is already known who will be the opponents at the end of the year in the group stage of the World Cup.