The Polish Football Association PZPN does not want to play with its national team in the World Cup play-offs against Russia.

"No more words, it's time to act!" tweeted association president Cezary Kulesza on Saturday.

“In connection with the escalation of the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine, the Polish national team will not play a playoff match against the Russian team.

That's the only decent decision." Talks are being held with the associations in Sweden and the Czech Republic in order to present the world governing body FIFA with a joint statement.

The PZPN retweeted the statement.

"It's the right decision!

I can't imagine playing a game against the Russian national team in a situation where armed aggression in Ukraine continues," Bayern star Robert Lewandowski wrote.

"Russian footballers and fans are not responsible for this, but we cannot pretend that nothing is happening."

The associations from Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic had previously announced their refusal to host the World Cup playoffs in Russia.

FIFA initially did not take any action on Thursday.

In the European play-offs for the World Cup finals in Qatar (21 November to 18 December) three tickets will be awarded at the end of March.

In a semi-final path, Poland are scheduled to play in Russia on March 24.

If the Russians made it to the final, their opponents would be Sweden or the Czech Republic on March 29th.

Ukraine will play in Scotland in their semifinals on March 24th.

Gazprom moves into focus at UEFA

The European football union UEFA will soon deal with further consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The role of the controversial Russian financier Gazprom is also increasingly coming into focus.

"Further meetings of the UEFA Executive Committee will be held shortly to deal with additional matters," UEFA said on Saturday when asked.

Earlier, the English newspaper The Times reported that UEFA was in the process of terminating the contract with Gazprom on Friday evening.

According to DFB interim president Rainer Koch, the UEFA Executive Committee had not yet dealt with Gazprom at its crisis meeting on Friday.

“UEFA's sponsorship partnership with Gazprom was not on today's agenda, which is why no decisions were made in this regard.

Nevertheless, this is a topic that understandably concerns us," said the German Exko member.

The Russian state-owned company Gazprom is a premium sponsor of UEFA for the Champions League and also one of the main sponsors for the European Championship 2024 in Germany.

With the move of the Champions League final from St. Petersburg to Paris on Friday, UEFA showed the expected reaction to the Russian military attack on Ukraine.

Instead of in the World Cup arena in St. Petersburg, the final of the premier class will now take place on May 28th in the Stade de France.

The Ukrainian tennis player Dayana Jastremska made public details of her escape from her homeland after the Russian military attack.

"After spending two nights in the underground car park, my parents made the decision to get me and my little sister out of Ukraine at any cost," the 21-year-old from Odessa wrote on Instagram.

The parents apparently stayed behind in Ukraine.

"Mom, Dad, we love you very much, take care of yourselves!!!

I love my country!

Ukrainians, take care of yourselves!”

Jastremska reported back on Saturday afternoon with a photo showing her with her sister.

"Tired, but my sister and I are safe.

We miss home, mum and dad.” Last year Jastremska had to endure an almost six-month suspension due to suspected doping, but has been eligible to play again since June 2021.

The banned substance mesterolone was found in a doping sample from November 24, 2020.

Jastremska denied the use of performance-enhancing drugs and stated that the amount of the anabolic steroid found was extremely small.

She could not explain how the positive sample came about.

Former world champion Dmytro Pidruchnyy also asked the international biathlon community for help for his native Ukraine.

"Don't tell me sport and politics have nothing to do with each other.

They have something to do with each other when soldiers and civilians are dying in my home country while you are reading this," the 30-year-old wrote to his fans on Instagram on Saturday, while also asking for donations to the Ukrainian army: "I beg you, us to help!

Please don't stay away!"

At the same time, Pidruzhnyi also called on international friends and fans to take to the streets in their hometowns and to ask governments and NATO for help.

In addition, due to targeted disinformation, it is important to verify any information about the "Russian invasion" with multiple sources, he wrote.

In the foreseeable future, sport and the fight for good placings in the Skijäger World Cup will no longer play a role for Pidchuchnji.

"No one will compete again," he wrote, explaining, "My team and I remain in Ukraine to protect our homes and families from Russian forces that invaded Ukraine on February 24."

The Ukraine biathlon team announced on Friday that it would no longer compete in the remaining three World Cups after Russia's military attack this winter.

Pidruchnji is the strongest man this season as 34th in the overall World Cup.

Three years ago he had won the world title in the pursuit.