Jordan News

The football federations in Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic issued a joint statement, expressing their refusal to play in Russia during the European qualifying round for the World Cup next March.

It is scheduled to meet Russia with Poland in Moscow, and the winner of them will play with Sweden or the Czech Republic, either in Moscow or Warsaw, according to the draw, to determine the identity of one of the three teams that will qualify for the World Cup in Qatar through the European play-off.

However, this scenario may not go as planned, as the federations of Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic refuse to play in Russia for “security reasons”, against the backdrop of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began Thursday.

The joint statement of the three federations said: “Based on the current worrying development in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, including the security situation, the football federations of Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic express their firm position that the play-off matches to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, scheduled for March 24 and 29, 2022, should not be played in the territory of the Russian Federation.

“The signatories to this appeal do not consider traveling to Russia and playing football matches there,” the statement continued. The military escalation that we are observing has dire consequences and far less safety for our national football teams and official delegations.”

FIFA commented on the situation between Russia and Ukraine, although it has not yet responded to the request of the three countries.

FIFA said it “condemns Russia’s use of force in Ukraine and any kind of violence to resolve conflicts,” noting that “violence is never a solution, and FIFA calls on all parties to restore peace through constructive dialogue.”

“FIFA also continues to express its solidarity with the people affected by this conflict. Regarding football matters in Ukraine and Russia, the federation will continue to monitor the situation, and the latest developments related to the World Cup qualifiers will be communicated in due course.