FIFA has indefinitely suspended all national teams and clubs from Russia, the World Football Association announced on Monday. Earlier this Monday, among others, the BBC and Reuters to report that these plans were on the table. Due to this decision, qualification for the World Cup in Qatar later this year seems impossible for Russia. The sanction of the umbrella football associations follows the Russian invasion of Ukraine last week.
“Following the initial decisions of the FIFA Council and UEFA Executive Committee, which envisaged the adoption of additional measures, FIFA and UEFA jointly decided today that all Russian teams, whether they are national representative teams or club teams, will be suspended from participating in both FIFA and UEFA competitions until further notice,” the World Football Association website said on Monday.
FIFA/UEFA suspend Russian clubs and national teams from all competitions ?? https://t.co/Q2htzW3W9z pic.twitter.com/LFo1bUtqmm
— FIFA Media (@fifamedia) February 28, 2022
“These decisions were adopted today by the Office of the FIFA Council and the UEFA Executive Committee, respectively the supreme decision-making bodies of both institutions on such urgent matters. Football is here fully united and in full solidarity with all affected people in Ukraine Both presidents hope that the situation in Ukraine will improve significantly and quickly, so that football can once again be a vector for unity and peace among the people,” FIFA said.
BILD earlier this Monday already reported that Spartak Moscow has been removed from the Europa League by UEFA. This puts a line through the diptych in the eighth final against RB Leipzig. It now appears that the war situation also has consequences for the national teams of Russia. UEFA had planned a meeting for 6 p.m. about the many issues that are going on in and around Russian football. During the meeting it was therefore decided to ban all Russian teams for the time being.
It’s the right decision! I can’t imagine playing a match with the Russian National Team in a situation when armed aggression in Ukraine continues. Russian footballers and fans are not responsible for this, but we can’t pretend that nothing is happening. https://t.co/rfnfbXzdjF
— Robert Lewandowski (@lewy_official) February 26, 2022
Russia now seems to be able to permanently draw a line through the World Cup opportunities. They would face Poland in the play-offs on March 24, which has already emphasized it does not want to play against the Russians. Cezary Kulesza, president of the Polish Football Association (PZPN), announced this on social media on Saturday morning. The news comes two days after the football associations of Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic announced in a joint statement that they do not want to play in Russia in the play-offs. However, Kulesza does not want a confrontation with Russia at all, according to his tweet.
“No more words, it is time to act,” emphasized Kulesza. “Due to the escalation of Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine, the Polish national team does not intend to play the play-off match against the Russian national team. This is the only right decision. We are in talks with the federations of Sweden and the Czech Republic to put forward a common position to FIFA.”
Poland should normally take office in Moscow on March 24. If Russia wins that game, it will play at home again, against Sweden or the Czech Republic. Ukraine is also still in the running for a World Cup ticket, but that country plays an away game once or twice. On March 24, the Ukrainians will visit Scotland. If there is a win, another away game follows: against the winner of the game between Wales and Austria.
Poland refuses to play against Russia for World Cup; Lewandowski responds
It has been known for several days that Poland does not want to play against Russia in the play-offs of the World Cup.