MOSCOW, 24 Feb. The national teams of Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic do not intend to hold qualification matches for the 2022 World Cup in Russia, according to the website of the Polish Football Union together with the football federations of Sweden and the Czech Republic. Earlier, the President of the Swedish Football Union, Karl-Erik Nilsson, called it unthinkable in Russia of the 2022 World Cup play-offs. The Russian national team on March 24 should play in the semifinals with the Polish team in Moscow. If the Russian team reaches the final, the winner of the match Sweden — Czech Republic will become its rival. «All participants in this agreement do not consider a trip to Russia and holding football matches there. The military escalation that we are now witnessing has serious consequences security for our national teams and delegations. In this regard, we expect an immediate response from the International Football Federation (FIFA) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and provide alternative options for holding play-off matches,» Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a statement. Putin announced on Thursday that, in response to an appeal from the leaders of the Donbass republics, he had decided to conduct a special military operation. The Russian leader stressed that Moscow's plans do not include the occupation of Ukrainian territories. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that the Russian military does not strike at the cities of Ukraine, military infrastructure is disabled by high-precision means. The civilian population is not in danger, the department assured.
