MADRID, 3 Apr. (SportsFinding) –
The Ukrainian international Taras Stepanenko has asked FIFA and UEFA to postpone again the playoffs for the Qatar 2022 World Cup that Ukraine must play, since, after so long without playing due to the Russian invasion of the country, it would be “extremely difficult ” get “two positive results” in the ‘playoff’.
“We don’t want to be known as victims. We are strong and capable guys, everyone is fine and we can play 100%. But the question I would ask is: how can we play such an important game when you haven’t played a game for so long? ?” he said in an interview with The Sunday Times.
The Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder last played a game in December, after the Ukrainian league was suspended due to the war. “Every footballer knows that if you recover from a long-standing injury, no matter how much you train in the gym and run, you go out to play football and everything is different,” he stressed.
“The level and strength may not be enough with one game, but we will be asked to play two incredibly difficult games in maybe four days to reach the World Cup. If there is no option, we must play. But I think it would be extremely difficult to achieve two results. positive. We hope that FIFA and UEFA understand this and postpone the matches to give us more time to prepare,” he added.
Scotland and Ukraine were due to meet last month in the play-off semi-finals, but FIFA delayed the match until June. Wales, who beat Austria (2-1) in their semi-final, still have to wait to find out which team they will face in the final of the ‘playoff’, which will decide who will get their ticket to the World Cup.
Wales, Scotland and Ukraine already know which group they would be in if they manage to advance, as the winner of their play-offs will join England, Iran and the USA in Group B.