When the news of Russians moving into Ukraine for what the Kremlin government announced was a military operation hit the media, nobody would have imagined that the action would have much effect. It is now a month since the war started and the world is feeling the heavy effects of this conflict. It has not spared the sports activities; sanctions that continue to be put on Russia to force it to abandon its military incursion in Ukraine threatens to disrupt several events that were scheduled in the year, especially those that were to be held in the Russian territory or those that involve the country’s sportsmen and women. The latest report has been Robert Lewandowski and the Poland national team’s refusal to play against Russia in the World Cup Qualifying match. Lewandowski, who is the Polish national team captain, was quoted saying that he could not imagine playing against the Russians while their government has waged war in Ukraine leading to massive losses in lives, humanitarian crisis, and great destruction of property in the country. He started the campaign to have the national team boycott the match against Russia.
The effects of conflict
The match that was to be played in Moscow would have seen either Russia or Poland proceed to the next stage. It is now clear that the big match will not be happening. Kate Richardson, an online betting expert has been examining the effects of this conflict on betting, she observes that betting sites in Germany and other parts of Europe may be forced to remove some of the matches which include Russian teams in their lists. She concludes that the war will also affect betting as an industry especially since it will reduce the number of events that bettors can wager on. With unconfirmed reports that Russian football teams may be banned from participating in major European tournaments, bettors who have been looking to win big through wagering on matches that have teams from this country would be greatly disappointed.
The football officials in Poland, the country that is feeling the pinch as it hosting hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees who are fleeing war announced that they were not intending to play the World Cup qualifying play-off semi final that was to take place on March 24. In a tweet, the head of the Football Association did not mince his words. He wrote, “The escalation of aggression towards Ukraine leaves us with no option but to withdraw.”
Spiral action
It seems that what Poland started would have a spiral action. The Polish football officials while announcing their move also added that they were to speak to other European countries so that they can speak in one voice concerning this matter. It is now clear that Poland succeeded in persuading other nations to follow suit. Already some European nations have expressed their firm positions on matches with Russia. Some have requested for the matches to be played elsewhere while others have indicated they would not play the Russian team regardless of where the match is held. National federations that have supported Poland’s move include:
- Sweden Football Association (SvFF)
- Czech Republic (FACR)
FIFA reaction
Although FIFA is yet to ban Russia from participating in the World Cup qualifiers, the world football governing body hopes that the hostilities would be ceased and peace returns to Ukraine with everything going back to normal. They added that they were monitoring the situation and would update the world regarding the upcoming global tournaments, mainly the qualifiers and the major event in Qatar.
We will be glued to the FIFA web app to be among the first people to receive the news. There are expectations that the world football governing body may require Russia to provide an alternative venue while others expect FIFA to completely ban the country from participating in its tournaments.
Robert Lewandowski role
The Polish nation team captain is said to have initiated all this. In an interview with an international media outlet, the player said he called his teammates who are scattered across the continent and they discussed the issue. Despite busy schedules with their clubs, the players felt that the issue was urgent and needed a quick address. Lewandowski did not have to convince any player, the answer to the question of a boycott was emphatic. From Wojciech, the goalkeeper to other players, they all unanimously said they were not playing and did not care whether FIFA would ban them from the tournament.
The high-profile athlete in Poland relayed the team’s decision to the Football federation insisting that the decision was unanimous. Some would argue that the team may have not been adequately prepared for the March 24th game but the national side was ready to play Russia only that the invasion of Ukraine changed everything. They had to protest against the war and stand with their neighbor. They were ready for the consequences, something that showed that they took the action as a serious commitment to peace in Ukraine.
Analysts have hailed the move terming it as a good example to other athletes in the world. They should stand firm against situations that threaten the lives of people. War leads to the suffering of their fans and footballers have a responsibility to speak against it. The Polish national team has done the right thing; condemning an action that not only leads to disruption of sporting activities but also untold suffering on innocent people.
