Czechs join Poland, Sweden refuses to play against Russia in WCup – The Durango Herald
The Czech Republic has joined Poland and Sweden to refuse to play against Russia in the World Cup qualifiers 2022 next month in response to the country’s invasion of Ukraine
PRAGUE (AP) – The Czech Republic joined Poland and Sweden on Sunday when they refused to play Russia in the 2022 World Cup qualifier next month in response to the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
The head of the world champions France’s Football Federation also went against the Russians and said on Sunday that he advocated excluding them from the competition.
Russia is scheduled to host Poland in Moscow for a semi-final in the playoffs on March 24, with the winner hosting Sweden or the Czech Republic five days later. The winner on March 29 would advance to the World Cup to be played in Qatar from November 21-Dec. 18.
However, the Czech Football Federation said that its executive committee “unanimously approved a decision that the Czech national team will not play against Russia in any case.”
Officials in Poland and Sweden made the same decision on Saturday – and put pressure on FIFA, which is responsible for all World Cup qualifiers, including in Europe.
FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino have not taken a clear public position on Russia, the 2018 World Cup, since the military invasion began on Thursday.
The Czech federation said that its head, Petr Fousek, will lead negotiations with FIFA and UEFA on its position.
“The Czech FA’s executive committee, staff and players of the national team agreed that it is not possible to play against the Russian national team in the current situation, not even in the neutral arena,” the association said in a statement. “We all want the war to end as soon as possible.”
FIFA’s current options include removing Russia from the World Cup or allowing it to advance to the final tournament by accepting that the other three teams withdraw in the playoffs.
A strict reading of FIFA’s World Cup rules would even make the Polish, Swedish and Czech federations guilty of disciplinary action and having to pay fines and compensation.
In 1992, however, FIFA and UEFA removed Yugoslavia from their competitions following UN sanctions imposed when war broke out in the Balkans.
In France, Noël Le Graët, president of the Football Association, told the daily Le Parisien on Sunday that he was inclined to exclude Russia from the World Cup.
“The sports world, and football in particular, cannot remain neutral,” said Le Graët, who sits on the governing body of FIFA and has recently been a close ally of Infantino.
All FIFA decisions on Russia are likely to come from its Bureau, which is led by Infantino and includes the presidents of football’s six continental governing bodies, including UEFA’s Alexander Ceferin.
UEFA took on Friday the Champions League final 2022 from St. Petersburg, moved it to Paris and said that Russian and Ukrainian teams in their competitions must play home games in neutral countries. UEFA allowed Spartak Moscow to continue playing in the second division Europa League quarterfinals.
When the attack on Ukraine began on the fourth day on Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin temporarily lost his highest official position in world sports. The International Judo Federation cited “the ongoing war in Ukraine” for revoking Putin’s honorary presidential status.
The Russian president is an avid judoka and took part in the sport at the 2012 London Olympics.
In Putin’s second favorite sport, ice hockey, the Latvian club Dinamo Riga withdrew from the Russian-owned and run Continental Hockey League on Sunday, citing the “military and humanitarian crisis”.
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