On Monday, Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the recognition of the independence of two self-proclaimed republics in Donbas – Donetsk and Lugansk. He also sent troops there, explaining his concern for peace in the region. The situation also affects the world of sport, including the play-off match Russia – which is scheduled to take place on March 24 in Moscow.
On Tuesday, in the morning of the Polish Radio, the Minister of Sport Kamil Bortniczuk took the floor. – We will strive to play this match on neutral ground. If it is not approved, we will consider what to do. I believe that in such a situation Polish athletes should not go to Russia, but this is my personal opinion – he said. PZPN approaches the matter more calmly. He plans to send an official letter to express his concern in it. It will not, however, suggest moving the match.
PZPN will send an official letter to UEFA. However, the chances of a change are slim
The British “The Mirror” wrote on Tuesday that the host of this year’s finals may change due to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The match was planned to be played at the stadium in St. Petersburg. “At UEFA, serious doubts have arisen as to the match played at Gazprom Arena in connection with the Ukrainian crisis,” reported British journalists.
The Polish federation, through unofficial paths, has already investigated whether UEFA has similar plans for the Russia-Poland play-off match. It turns out that a scenario in which the match is moved to neutral territory is unlikely, however. Nevertheless, the Polish Football Association will officially express its concern about the situation to which Russia has led. may argue that Polish footballers will not feel safe in Moscow. On the one hand – you have to act quickly, because moving the match scheduled for March 24 is quite a logistical undertaking. On the other hand, we still have to wait for the developments in Ukraine and the reaction of Western countries.
On the other hand, moving the match to Poland – a dream scenario of many fans – is the least likely. Then the Russians could argue that they do not feel safe.
Russia has powerful influence in UEFA and FIFA. World Cup, Euro, Champions League final
As a rule, a match can be postponed if UEFA qualifies that it is unsafe at the venue to be played. However, “Danger” is a discretionary term, and UEFA and FIFA have proven many times that they can tolerate a lot. Therefore, in April 2017, the players had to appear in a Champions League match several hours after the terrorist attack on their bus, and in November 2019 the Poles played against Israel several dozen kilometers from the place where the rockets were falling. In addition, UEFA and FIFA maintain that they do not want sport and politics to mix up.
In the Polish federation, they expect that the match will be played as planned – at the stadium in Moscow, because the Russians will manage to convince UEFA authorities that their capital is safe. Finally, we are talking about a country that has a powerful influence in the European and world federation: in 2018 it organized the World Cup, in 2021 it hosted Euro matches, this year it has the promised Champions League final, and Russian Gazprom is the leading sponsor of European competitions.
If Poland wins with Russia, it will play against the winner of the pair Sweden – Czech Republic in the match decisive for the promotion to the World Cup. The Qatar World Cup will take place at the end of 2022.
Source: Sport
Tristin is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
