Updated at 23.30
ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI will wear both the Polish and Ukrainian captain’s armbands at the World Cup in Qatar.
Former Ukraine coach Andriy Shevchenko presented the Barcelona star with the symbolic blue and yellow armband on Tuesday at the Polish national stadium in Warsaw.
“Thank you” Shevchenko, tweeted Lewandowski on Tuesday. “It was a pleasure to meet you! It will be an honour for me to carry this captains armband in the colours of Ukraine to the World Cup.”
While Poland qualified for the World Cup by beating Sweden in a playoff in March, Ukraine fell to Wales in the last European qualifier in June.
“The whole country is affected by the war, everyone is in danger,” Shevchenko told Polish media.
“And at the same time, everyone is working and doing what they can to contribute and help others, to support the country. Soccer players are no exception.
“This is also a message to the world — we are fighting, we are still alive and we will never give up.”
In Qatar, Poland will face Argentina, Saudi Arabia and Mexico in Group C.
Class act from one class player to another class player.
Being gay is illegal in Qatar, with the possibility of an execution for men of a certain religion under religious law (I am finding it very hard to word this neutral message as this website says i am being hateful). No country should be competing here. How was the competition granted to this state? It seems so weird.
@Simon Murphy: money money and more money
No other way
@Simon Murphy: Even if you were to put ethics to the side it should never have been awarded. It’s a small non-footballing country that has had to build pretty much all the required stadiums and will dismantle then soon after. They also didn’t meet FIFA’s own regulations regarding average temperatures in June and made up some bull about outdoor air conditioning to get around that. Only corruption can explain the award.
What a fabulous gesture.
It’ll be interesting to see if FIFA will allow this…
@Phil Quinlan: fk FIFA.
@Phil Quinlan: Hopefully every team
will wear one and FIFA will have to accept the situation.
Keep politics out of sport
Well this solves the war.