London, Europe Brief News – FIFA has ordered Russia to play matches without its flag and anthem at neutral venues It also warned to exclude the country from competitions if the situation in Ukraine does not improve.
Sunday’s announcements which FIFA called “immediate first measures” were, however, swiftly criticised as insufficient by European nations.
FIFA further said the national team would not compete as Russia but as the Football Union of Russia (RFU). Any “home” games would be held with no fans on “neutral territory.”
However, FIFA’s actions were swiftly criticised as insufficient by European nations.
“Today’s FIFA decision is totally unacceptable. We are not interested in participating in this game of appearances. Our stance remains intact. Polish National Team will not play with Russia under any team name,” Polish Football Association chief Cezary Kulesza said.
“If FIFA’s Human Rights Policy is more than just words on paper, now is the time to put it into effect, excluding the Russian Football Association from qualifying for the Qatar World Cup in 2022,” he added.
The Czech Republic and Sweden have also said they would not play against the Russians.
England’s Football Association also said its national team would not play any matches against Russia “for the foreseeable future.”
Meanwhile, talks between Ukraine and Russia are due to begin today near the Belarusian border, reports TASS news agency.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told British Prime Minister Boris Johnson that the next 24 hours are a “crucial period”.
Ukraine’s health ministry says 352 civilians, including 14 children, died since the beginning of Russia’s invasion.
