The captain of Poland national team Robert Lewandowski has backed his national team’s decision to refuse to play against Russia in a World Cup qualifying semi-final on March 24.
Russia had been due to host Poland but Polish FA president Cezary Kulesza announced on Saturday that the team does not intend to play the game.
Kulesza’s stance comes in response to Russian president Vladimir Putin declaring war on Ukraine and launching an aggressive invasion on Thursday, 24th of February 2022.
As at the time of filing this report, the death toll has already reached triple figures and thousands of Ukrainians have fled to seek refuge in neighboring Poland.
Polish FA president Cezary Kulesza tweeted: “No more words, time to act! Due to the escalation of the aggression of the Russian Federation towards Ukraine, the Polish national team does not intend to play the play-off match against Russia.
“This is the only right decision. We are in talks with the Swedish and Czech Republic federations to present a common position to FIFA.”
Europe’s football governing body also stripped Russia of its right to host the 2022 Champions League final, moving it from St Petersburg’s Krestovsky Stadium to the Stade de France in Paris.
Lewandowi reacting to this via his Twitter account, @Lewy_Officiail, tweeted; “It is 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.”
