“We have previously made it known that we do not want to confront (Russia) in these circumstances” of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, “and this remains the case until further notice,” said the president of the federation. Karl-Erik Nilsson in a statement to the media, saying he was “unhappy” with FIFA’s decision.
“There will be no change in the position of the Czech national team…even following FIFA’s decision to let Russia play at international level but on neutral grounds, without a flag and without an anthem,” he said. for its part the Czech Federation in a press release.
Earlier, Poland had deemed FIFA’s position “totally unacceptable”, repeating that they would not face Russia in the World Cup play-offs on March 24. Sweden and the Czech Republic are the potential opponents of the Russians in the next round.
The three federations had announced this weekend their refusal to face Russia.
On Sunday, FIFA announced that Russia will play its matches under a neutral banner and that its home matches must be played on neutral ground. The Russian anthem and flag will be banned from international competitions. The international federation also reserves the right to take “additional sanctions, including potential exclusion from competitions”, while the exclusion of the Russians from the 2022 World Cup has been mentioned in recent hours, in particular by the French Federation.
