Poland will refuse to play World Cup play-offs with Russia in opposition to invasion of Ukraine

Poland will not play Russia in the World Cup play-offs in March because of the invasion of Ukraine.

The winner of the game would face either Sweden or the Czech Republic four days later for a place in the finals in November.

A Polish FA spokesman told Sky Sports News that it was time to act. The Polish national team will not play the play-off match against Russia due to the aggression of the Russian Federation towards Ukraine.

This is the right decision. We are in talks with the Swedish and Czech federations to come up with a common position.

An update about the game would be communicated in due course, according to a FIFA spokesman.

Robert Lewandowski, Poland's top scorer, said it was the right decision. I can't imagine the Russian National Team playing a match in a situation like that. Russian football players and fans are not responsible for this.

It is the right decision! I can’t imagine playing a match with the Russian National Team in a situation when armed aggression in Ukraine continues. Russian footballers and fans are not responsible for this, but we can’t pretend that nothing is happening. https://t.co/rfnfbXzdjF

— Robert Lewandowski (@lewy_official) February 26, 2022

On Tuesday, Thomas Tuchel said he understands criticism directed towards the club in the wake of the Russian invasion.

Chris Bryant, a Labour member of the House of Commons, asked if Roman Abramovich should be allowed to operate a football club himself, and quoted a leaked government document suggesting he should.

Latest developments as sport reacts to Ukraine situation

• UEFA has moved the Champions League final from St Petersburg to Paris
• Europe's governing body is also under pressure to end sponsorship from Russian energy giant Gazprom
• Manchester United have dropped Russian state airline Aeroflot as a sponsor
• Players will be free to protest against the war in Ukraine without fear of punishment, so long as displays are not offensive
• FIFA remain undecided over World Cup play-off matches involving Ukraine and Russia
• F1 has announced the Russian Grand Prix will be cancelled
• The Haas team joined F1 testing on Friday with its cars missing the logo of Russian sponsor Uralkali

Ahead of Sunday's Carabao Cup final againstLiverpool, Tuchel told reporters the situation in Ukraine and the potential consequences was clouding his squad's thoughts and defended their desire to focus on football.

He said that we should not pretend that this is not an issue. Everyone here is in a bad situation. This is pretty amazing, nobody expected it. We are excited towards the final, but it is clouding our minds. It brings a lot more uncertainty to everyone in the moment than we do. We send our best wishes to them.

'We cannot fully free ourselves from it'

There are so many uncertainties around the situation of our club in the UK that it makes no sense to comment on it. We are aware of it, we haven't got much insight or inside information, and in the end, I think it is the right of the team and staff to focus on sports. The situation is clear, it is horrible, no doubt about it.

I would love to not comment on it until there is a decision. It distracts us, it's worrying us, and I can understand the critical opinions towards the club and us who represent it. We can't completely free ourselves from it.

We don't feel responsible for what is going on because we don't know what is happening and how much the owner is involved.

The impact is clear, the discussions have an impact, but we need to be a bit more patient and understand what the measurement will be.

Players free to protest amid Ukraine crisis

For a more accessible video player, please use the chrome browser.

Football players, fans, and clubs will be free to protest against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, without fear of punishment from the FA, Premier League or EFL, as long as those displays are not offensive or political.

As the governing body, the FA has jurisdiction in these matters, and there are clear kit and advertising regulations that prohibit the use of threatening, abusive, indecent, insulting, discriminatory, political or religious messages.

There is a widespread belief among officials that displays of support for Ukraine should not be judged in this light.

Sky Sports News has been told many clubs in the UK are considering adopting the Ukraine flag in some capacity during this weekend's matches in a show of solidarity.

The FA considers issues such as this on a case-by-case basis, and given its support for initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion, punishing messages of support for Ukraine's people would seem to be at odds with the organisation's overall ethos.

The FA took a common sense approach back in the summer of 2020 when it became clear large numbers of professional players wanted to take a knee in a show of unity against racial inequality.

The players deserved applause for their stance, said Infantino at the time.

Football authorities are not expected to punish players or clubs who speak out about the situation in Eastern Europe.

If the action is offensive, provocative or political, it will be considered offensive, provocative or political.