Poland captain Robert Lewandowski had expressed doubts about the World Cup qualifier game against Russia. Now the Polish association has already acted: There shouldn’t be a game against the Russian team.
The Polish Football Association PZPN does not want to play in the World Cup playoff against Russia in view of the further advance of Russian troops in Ukraine.
Association President Cezary Kulesza said on Twitter on Saturday that the Poles are going a step further than already announced: on Thursday they initially refused to play on Russian soil.
“Enough words, it’s time to act”
The game en route to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is scheduled for March 24 in Moscow. “Enough words, it’s time to act,” Kulesza wrote. “Due to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, Poland does not plan to play against the Russian team. This is the only right decision.”
PZPN is now working with colleagues from Sweden and the Czech Republic on a common position, as these associations are also affected: The winner of the duel between Russia and Poland should then meet the Czech Republic or Sweden, who face each other in the round before. The Russians would also have home rights in another game. Like Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic had already made it clear that they didn’t want to play in Russia.
The world association Fifa, however, has not yet taken a position. They condemn “the use of force by Russia”, but with a view to the World Cup qualification, Fifa wants to “continue to monitor the situation”.