The CAS refuses to suspend the exclusion of Russia by Fifa

The Russian team remains excluded from the qualifying play-offs for the 2022 Football World Cup, at the end of March, after the rejection Friday by the Court of Arbitration for Sport of the request of the Russian Federation to suspend the sanctions of Fifa.

This decision, similar to that made on Tuesday concerning the UEFA sanctions, does not prejudge the future sentence of the sports justice on the merits of the dispute, which is not expected for at least several weeks.

Suspensive refusal

“The arbitration procedure is continuing. A panel of arbitrators is being set up and the parties are exchanging written observations. No hearing has yet been set,” said the Lausanne-based court in a statement.

But already, the refusal to grant the Russian appeal a suspensive effect clears the sky of world football for the next few weeks, and deprives Sbornaïa of its chances of winning a ticket for the Qatari tournament (November 21-December 18 ).

Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic refuse to play Russia

Hosts of the last Men’s World Cup, where they had climbed to the quarter-finals, the Russians were to meet the Poles on March 24 in Moscow. As decided by Fifa, Poland is therefore directly qualified for the final of the play-offs, on March 29, against the winner of Sweden-Czech Republic.

The CAS spared a huge headache for the football body, since the Poles, Swedes and Czechs refused to face the Russians no matter what, exposing themselves to sanctions as inevitable – in view of the statutes of Fifa – as politically sensitive.