Polish footballers will face Russia in a play-off before the World Cup. Russian politicians intend to motivate the Russian national football team, and failure could mean penalties for the players.
Russian footballers in dramatic circumstances lost the chance of direct promotion to the World Cup in Qatar. They lost in their last group game against Croatia 0:1 after an own goal by Fyodor Kudriashov in the 81st minute of the match in Split. A draw would have given Russia a promotion, but the unlucky loss meant participation in the play-offs.
In play-offs, the Russians will play against the Poles, but before the match at the Luzhniki Stadium, the State Duma can outvote sanctions for players. The introduction of a special “incentive system” was proposed by Vladimir Putin’s United Russia politician Sultan Khamzaev.
“We’re talking about fines for poor play, violations of discipline. We also want to take into account the complaints of the fans. This proposal aims to increase the motivation of Russian football players to play with full dedication,” rSport quotes Khamzaev’s words.
Khamzaev intends to submit his proposal to the sports minister for further work.
Poland will face Russia in Moscow on March 24, 2022. The winner will play the decisive match for promotion to the World Cup with the winner of the match between Sweden and the Czech Republic.