In March, Poland was supposed to meet Russia in the World Cup playoffs. But there is a big question mark behind the game due to the current situation. Poland’s captain Robert Lewandowski spoke up.
About a month before the playoff duel against Russia has Robert Lewandowski on Vladimir Putin’s war of aggression Ukraine voiced. The Poland national team captain tweeted a statement on the invasion: “Everything that defines football is opposed to what war entails. For all people who value freedom and peace, it is time to settle down to show solidarity with the victims of the Russian attacks on Ukraine.” He further wrote: “As a representative of the Polish team, I will discuss our game against Russia with my teammates. We will formulate a joint statement and give it to the leadership of the Polish Football Association.”
Clear demands on Fifa and Uefa
The associations in Sweden, Poland and the Czech Republic had previously called for the games to be relocated. “Due to the alarming situation in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine (…) the games should not be played on Russian soil,” they said in a joint letter on Thursday. Because of the “military escalation”, the safety of the teams and officials is not guaranteed.
On March 24, Poland is scheduled to play against Russia in Moscow. The winner of this duel then meets the Czech Republic or Sweden, who faced each other in the previous round. Should the Russians prevail, they would have home advantage again.
Therefore, Poland, the Czech Republic and Sweden are demanding the world association Fifa and the Uefa up for action. The two organizations would have to show “alternative solutions”.
