Association President Cezary Kulesza announced the decision for the Polish association on Saturday (February 26, 2022) via Twitter. On Saturday afternoon, the Swedes also announced that they did not want to compete.
The match between Poland and Russia en route to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is scheduled for March 24 in Moscow. The winner of the duel should then meet the Czech Republic or Sweden, who are facing 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 Czech association announced on Twitter on Sunday that it would not be playing “in a neutral place” against Russia at the moment.
“It’s time to act”
“Enough words, it’s time to act”Kulesza wrote on Saturday morning: “Due to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, Poland doesn’t plan to play against the Russian team. It’s the only right decision.”
“It’s the right decision! I can’t imagine playing a game against the Russian national team in a situation when armed aggression in Ukraine continues”Bayern star Robert Lewandowski wrote: “Russian footballers and fans are not responsible for this, but we cannot pretend nothing is happening.”
Poland and Sweden also received support from the international players’ union FIFPRO. The representation demanded that the two federations remain in contention even if they refused to play against the Russians.
FIFA does not yet take a clear position
The world association FIFA, however, has not yet taken a position. One judges “the use of force by Russia”but with a view to qualifying for the World Cup, FIFA wants to “keep monitoring the situation”. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has so far been evasive when asked about sanctions against the Russian Football Association.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday after an hour-long digital FIFA Council meeting, Infantino said: “FIFA condemns the use of force by Russia in Ukraine and any form of conflict resolution violence”said Infantino. Otherwise, he largely avoided naming Russia as the attacking country. Infantino said violence is never a solution. FIFA call “all parties involved” to the peace “to restore through a constructive dialogue”.
Source: sid/dpa