FIFA President Gianni Infantino with Vladimir Putin. /
Qatar 2022
Infantino reacts with a Solomonic decision to the boycott of Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic and to France’s request to eliminate Karpin’s team from the World Cup
The FIFA Executive Committee has met urgently and extraordinary this Sunday and has agreed, with the approval of UEFA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), that Russia play its matches on a neutral field and behind closed doors until further notice , without anthem or flag, and only under the shield of their federation. The measure will reach the playoff qualifiers for the Qatar World Cup with the presence of the team led by Valeri Karpin.
FIFA’s decision does not stop there. At the same meeting, the body chaired by Gianni Infantino has determined to warn Russia that its participation in the World Cup, even in the case of overcoming the playoffs, is not guaranteed if the European Union and the high international institutions decide to increase the pressure and expand sanctions as a result of the invasion of Ukraine.
FIFA has reacted with a Solomonic decision hours after the boycott of Russia announced first by Poland, its rival in the play-off match on March 24, and later backed by Sweden and the Czech Republic, possible opponents in the final on March 29. of that month against the Russians in case they advance against the red and whites. The problem is that, to this day, the federations based in Warsaw, Stockholm and Prague insist on not playing on neutral ground either.
France went even further this Sunday by calling on FIFA to eliminate Russia from the World Cup. “The world of sport, and in particular football, cannot remain neutral. Certainly I will not oppose an exclusion of Russia, “said Noël Le Graét, president of the French federation, in statements to ‘Le Parisien’.
A big ordeal that demanded a prompt response from FIFA, which now has the mission of convincing the Poles, Swedes and Czechs to accept playing in the new conditions against the Russians, a complicated end. Days ago, UEFA already deprived this country of the venue for the Champions League final, which will be held in Paris instead of St. Petersburg.
It so happens that France raised the tone of the demands on Infantino, FIFA boss, hours after the Czech Republic joined Poland and Sweden and made public this Sunday their refusal to face Russia in the playoffs for the World Cup in Qatar 2022, regardless of the stage of the match.
“The executive committee of the Czech Federation, the members of the technical team and the players of the national team agreed that it is not possible to play against the Russian team in the current situation, even in a neutral stadium. We all want the war to end as soon as possible,” the top Czech soccer official announced in a statement.
time to act
On Saturday, the president of the Polish Football Federation (PZPN), Cezary Kulesza, anticipated that his country’s team would not play the play-off tie against Russia, a decision supported by internationals such as striker Robert Lewandowski and also the Swedish Federation. No more words, it’s time to act! Due to the escalation of Russian aggression towards Ukraine, the Polish team has no intention of playing”, he noted.
Wojciech Szczesny, goalkeeper for Juventus and the Polish national team, was also against playing against Russia. “My wife was born in Ukraine, in my son’s veins there is Ukrainian blood, part of our family is still in Ukraine, many of my employees are Ukrainian and they are all excellent people. Seeing the suffering on her faces and the fear for her country makes me understand that I cannot sit still and pretend that nothing has happened,” he said.
FIFA had a very serious problem before it and could no longer look the other way, nor avoid speaking out. At the moment, neither eliminates Russia from the World Cup nor accepts the boycott of its possible rivals in the playoffs, forced to play on a neutral field if they do not want to be eliminated. To be continue.
