Sao Paulo, Brazil
Anguish and money.
The two reasons why FIFA banned Russia in this year’s World Cup play-off matches.
It would be unexpected what would happen in Qatar if Russian fans came down to cheer on the team representing the country of Vladimir Putin, the man who authorized the bombing of Ukraine.
To be sure, many countries would refuse to compete with the Russian presence.
It will be chaos.
The budget of the Qatar Cup is 200 billion US dollars, which is about 1.3 trillion Brazilian reais.
At least 14 times what Russia spent – yes, the same Russia that went to war – at the 2018 World Cup.
There is no reason to ruin the World Cup for any country.
FIFA summit is very rational.
There are huge financial commitments.
The Qatari royal family wants to improve the country’s image across the planet. Hence the construction of eight expensive and expensive stadiums.
In addition to transport infrastructure, tourism and security. Everything is planned and budgeted and billions of dollars have already been spent.
Revenge for a country at war and its supporters is unimaginable. The ideal stage would be for possible attacks by Ukrainians thirsty for revenge. A completely avoidable situation with the ban on World Cup disputes.
The Russians have promised to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the highest body above FIFA, with a veto against the ban. But it would be a lost job. There will be no return decision.
Russia will need to play the rematch against Poland on March 24 in Moscow. The Poles had already warned that they would not enter the field. The winner will face the winner from Sweden and the Czech Republic. Other potential adversaries also stated that they would not act against the Russians.
Poland was declared the winner of the match, which was not held, 3-0.
The situation also reached the Champions League. UEFA was firm. Spartak Moscow was eliminated from the European League, in the middle of the eighth final. The matches will not be played against Red Bull Leipzig, and the Austrian team in the quarter-finals.
The European Football Association (UEFA) also banned the Russian women’s team from participating in the European Championship in July in England. For the same reasons FIFA in relation to the World Cup: fear and money.
Wars have already disrupted the 30th World Cup Finals, and prevented the wars of 1942 and 1946.
In 1973, the then-Soviet Union did not face Chile in the playoffs. Because of the military coup that removed President Salvador Allende from power. He did not go to the World Cup in Germany.
FIFA is a greedy entity, with many business commitments, with its billionaire sponsors. I will not allow the World Cup in Qatar to collapse from within because of Russia.
But the humanitarian issue, with the unnecessary disclosure of fans’ lives, was key in preventing the Russians from trying to reach the World Cup.
It was a huge success…
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