March 24 at The 18th Polish national team is to play with Russia in the play-off match for promotion to the world championship, which will start in November in Qatar. Exactly, but will it play for sure? The tense political situation and the Russian aggression against Ukraine have forced not only European, but also Polish politicians to demand sanctions against the Russians. And it is not only about political or economic sanctions, but also those related to the field of sport.
On Thursday morning, Russian troops attacked Ukraine, declaring war. This sharpened the position on the play-off games for promotion to the world championship, in which in Moscow the Poles were to play first against Russia (March 24), and in the case of the Russians’ promotion, also the winner of the Sweden – Czech Republic match (March 29).
Swedes already on Thursday morning. Later, Cezary Kulesza expressed a similar opinion.
– In the event of a brutal attack by Russia on Ukraine, the scheduled play-off match for promotion to the world championship cannot be held on the territory of our rival. We are waiting for FIFA’s decision on this matter. We, together with the Czech and Swedish federations, will issue a statement in which we clearly declare that we are not considering a trip to Russia. We must take care of the safety of our footballers and the entire staff –
Poles, Swedes and Czechs declare: We will not go to Russia. One difference is puzzling
On Thursday afternoon, the Polish Football Association together with the Swedish and Czech federations published a statement in which all three federations clearly state that they do not intend to play play-off matches in Russia.
“The football federations of Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic categorically condemn Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. In view of the current situation, the Polish Football Association (PZPN), Svenska Fotbollförbundet (SvFF) and Fotbalová asociace Ceské republiky (FACR) express a firm position that scheduled for 24 and On March 29 this year, the play-off matches for the World Cup in Qatar should not be held in the Russian Federation, “the statement said.
“The signatories of this appeal do not take into account the trip to Russia and playing football matches there. The military escalation that we are observing has serious consequences and a significant reduction in the level of security for our national teams and official delegations” – added.
“Therefore, we expect an immediate response from FIFA and UEFA and the presentation of alternative solutions regarding the places to play the upcoming matches” – summarized.
It may be puzzling, however, that the English version sent to FIFA lacked the sentence condemning the Russian aggression against Ukraine, and only the phrase “Russia’s conflict with Ukraine” was used. As Sport.pl found out, PZPN tried to push through the option of condemning aggression, just like the Swedes, but representatives of the Czech Republic opted for a milder version.
There will be no boycott. PZPN counts on severe FIFA and UEFA sanctions against Russia
As we wrote earlier on Thursday, PZPN is not going to boycott the match with Russia itself.
– The situation is unprecedented. Since we sent the letter to FIFA two days ago, it has changed dramatically – – In the letter we wrote that we are concerned about what is happening in the east. Now, after Russia invades Ukraine, we expect an urgent response from FIFA and a clear position. We contacted FIFA and UEFA today. UEFA has called an extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee on Friday. We are waiting for decisions – he added.
As a result, they realize that the sanctions against Russia will be decided in the coming days by FIFA and UEFA, and the boycott of the match itself would hit the PZPN, the national team and its members the most. The PZPN, however, hopes that sanctions against Russia by international federations will be severe.
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.
