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Russian football players will be able to play in competitions under the auspices of the International Football Federation (FIFA) in a neutral status. The Russian national team will not be able to use the country’s flag and anthem, the FIFA press service said.
They also noted that there is now a dialogue with Sweden, the Czech Republic and Poland on the play-offs at the 2022 World Cup. Also, the international organization will discuss the issue of removing the Russian team from the competition.
Earlier, the Russian Football Union (RFU) said that there were no grounds for canceling the 2022 World Cup play-off between Russia and Poland. “We do not see any legal grounds for canceling the play-off between the national teams of Russia and Poland and the subsequent meeting with one of the teams of the Sweden-Czech Republic pair. The RFU continues to prepare for these games, ”the text said. It was also noted there that “the RFU did not receive any information from FIFA about the likelihood of postponing or canceling the World Cup qualifying round matches scheduled to be held on March 24 and 29 in Moscow.”
On March 24, the Russian national team should play with Poland in the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup play-off tournament. The winner of the match will play with the strongest of the Sweden-Czech Republic pair.
Recall, on February 26, the Polish national team announced its refusal to hold a play-off against Russia. The teams of Sweden and the Czech Republic announced the same decision.
Meanwhile, the International Football Federation (FIFA) has banned national team matches in Russia because of the events in Ukraine, according to the press service of FIFA. Meetings in which the Russian team will be the hostess should be held on neutral territory and without spectators, the federation said.
Source: Rosbalt
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