Qatar 2022 World Cup play-off match with Russia ‘almost unthinkable’, Swedish FA boss says after assault on Ukraine
- Wins for Sweden and Russia in play-off group games would mean two sides meeting in Moscow on March 29, with a place at Qatar World Cup at stake
- ‘Our thoughts go to Ukraine … it’s awful. Football should be seen as something of less importance in the middle of this inferno,’ Karl-Erik Nilsson says
A 2022 World Cup playoff match in Russia is “almost unthinkable” at the moment, the chairman of the Swedish Football Association (SvFF) said following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Thursday.
Sweden are set to face the Czech Republic in a World Cup playoff group B match on March 24, with the victor meeting the winner of the other group game between Poland and Russia.
Wins for Sweden and Russia would mean the two sides meeting in Russia on March 29, with a place at the Qatar World Cup at stake.
“It’s a possible scenario … spontaneously around the feelings we have as we wake up this morning are that it is almost unthinkable that we in a few weeks would play a football match in Russia,” Karl-Erik Nilsson said.
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“As it looks here and now, today, there is absolutely no desire to play a football match in Russia,” he added.
Nilsson said that he had not been in touch with his contacts in Ukraine following the overnight attacks.