Poland, Sweden refuse to play against Russia in the World Cup finals
WARSAW, Poland (AP) – Poland’s refusal to play its World Cup qualifier against Russia next month in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine received wider support as Sweden followed up with its own plans to protest to FIFA on Saturday.
The president of the Polish Football Federation, Cezary Kulesza, announced Poland’s decision and said that talks were under way with other federations to present a united position for FIFA, which is responsible for the match on March 24 in Moscow.
“No more words, time to act!” Kulesza wrote on Twitter, adding that the move was caused by “the escalation of aggression.”
Also on Saturday, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich suddenly handed over the “management and care” of the Premier League club to its charities. The move came after a member of the British parliament called on the Russian billionaire to hand over the club in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Abramovich, who has owned Chelsea since 2003, did not mention the war in his statement.
He said: “I have always made decisions with the club’s best interests in mind. I am still committed to these values. That is why today I give the managers of the Chelsea charity the administration and care of Chelsea.”
Poland captain Robert Lewandowski and goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny were among those who supported the club’s decision, with Bayern Munich striker saying “we can not pretend nothing is happening.”
Sweden, a potential opponent to Russia in next month’s playoffs, later joined Poland and declared that their national team would not play a match against the Russians no matter where it takes place.
The Czech Republic, another team that will potentially face Russia, is likely to follow suit.
“Under the circumstances, it is almost impossible to imagine such a match taking place,” said Petr Fousek, head of the Czech Football Association. “It is very likely that we will follow the Polish and Swedish scenarios.”
The association’s executive committee will meet to decide on several hours, Fousek said.
Sweden made its position clear.
– The illegal and deeply unfair invasion of Ukraine currently makes all football matches with Russia impossible, says Karl-Erik Nilsson, chairman of the Swedish Federation. “We therefore urge FIFA to decide that the play-offs in March in which Russia participates will be canceled.”
The winner of the match between Poland and Russia is expected to host Sweden or the Czech Republic on March 29 for a place at the World Cup to be played in Qatar from November 21-December. 18.
“We have a hard time believing,” Nilsson added, “that FIFA will not follow our call. Russia cannot join as long as this madness continues.”
Nilsson is also the first vice-president of UEFA to have deprived Russia of hosting the Champions League final in St. Petersburg. Petersburg in May. UEFA decided on Friday to move that match to Paris.
Lewandowski, Poland’s leading goal scorer of all time and winner of FIFA’s award for best player in the last two years, supported Kulesza’s announcement.
“I can not imagine playing a match with the Russian national team in a situation where armed aggression in Ukraine continues,” Lewandowski said on Twitter. “Russian football players and fans are not responsible for this, but we can not pretend that nothing happens.”
FIFA has not yet taken a clear position that Russia will host or even play against Poland.
The European football agency UEFA said on Friday that all Russian and Ukrainian teams in their competitions must now move their home matches to play in other countries.
A potential precedent for action is from 1992. Both FIFA and UEFA removed Yugoslavia from their competitions following sanctions imposed by the United Nations at the outbreak of war there.
Earlier, Poland had only said they did not want to play in the semi-finals of the qualifiers in Moscow.
In other sports, the Norwegian Ski Federation said on Saturday that Russian skiers are not welcome to compete in the Nordic country due to Russia’s “violations of international law and attacks on the Ukrainian people.”
Norway’s call is in direct conflict with the International Ski Federation’s (FIS) policy, which was announced late on Friday and comes days after the power of winter sports topped the Olympic medal table in Beijing with a record 16 gold.
Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine since Thursday called for “international condemnation and sanctions,” the Norwegian federation said.
On Friday, FIS withdrew its remaining World Cup competitions this season from Russia but later allowed the Russians to continue competing.
On Saturday, Russia withdrew its team from the World Cup in biathlon in protest of new restrictions. The International Biathlon Federation had ordered Russia and Belarus to compete as “neutral athletes” without their country’s flag and anthem so that emblems from the two countries would not be displayed.
Residents of Kyiv were preparing for another night of underground protection on Saturday, when Russian troops closed in the Ukrainian capital and skirmishes were reported on the outskirts. Ukraine’s leaders claimed that Ukraine’s forces had repulsed the attack and promised to continue fighting. “We will win,” said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
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