Poland refuses to confront Russia .. "The talk is over, it's time to act!"

Poland refused to face Russia in the European qualifying round for the 2022 World Cup in football, according to what the president of the Polish Football Association announced on Saturday, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

As the conflict entered its third day, Polish Football Association President Cesari Kulesa said, "The time for talking is over. It is time for action. Due to the escalation of Russian aggression in Ukraine, the Polish team is not considering playing the play-off against Russia," adding that it was "the right decision."

He said he would work with the Swedish and Czech federations (the winner between them faces the winner between Russia and Poland in Russia) to present a unified position to FIFA.

The three federations issued a consolidated statement Thursday, calling on FIFA to transfer the play-off matches from Russia, which hosted the World Cup four years ago.

Poland captain Robert Lewandowski, who tweeted Friday that he would consult his colleagues about the match, welcomed the decision of his country's federation.

Bayern Munich's top scorer tweeted, "The right decision!"

"I cannot imagine playing a match with the Russian national team while the armed aggression continues in Ukraine," he continued.

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