Scotland will not play Russia at any level of football, SFA confirms

Scotland will not play Russia at any level of football under the “current circumstances” after the Scottish Football Association supported the stance of their English and Welsh counterparts. The SFA also extended its support to Ukraine and offered to help their colleagues’ national teams prepare for upcoming matches against Scotland at men’s and women’s levels.

The SFA said that “should the current circumstances continue”, it would not sanction a scheduled August fixture against Russia in the Uefa Regions Cup, a tournament for amateur teams. Scotland are also due to host Ukraine in a World Cup play-off semi-final on 24 March, while the countries are due to meet in a women’s World Cup qualifier on 8 April.

“This will remain our position should any other fixtures arise at any level of international football,” said an SFA statement. “The Scottish FA president, Rod Petrie, has written to his counterpart at the Ukrainian Association of Football to send a message of support, friendship and unity,. Football is inconsequential amid conflict, but we have conveyed the strong sense of solidarity communicated to us by Scotland fans and citizens in recent days.

“We remain in dialogue with Uefa and Fifa regarding our men’s World Cup play-off and women’s World Cup qualifier and have offered to support our Ukrainian colleagues’ preparations as best we can in these unimaginably difficult circumstances.”

The football associations of Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic have also said their various teams will not fulfil any fixtures against Russia for the time being. Russia are due to face Poland in a World Cup play-off semi-final and, if they won, would face the winner of the other semi-final between Sweden and the Czech Republic for a