Tedesco not convinced by Russia boycott
February 27, 2022
An 82nd minute goal from star man Christopher Nkunku gave RB Leipzig a labored 1-0 win over Bochum on Sunday, which means a return to the Champions League is in Domenico Tedesco's side's hands.
The former Schalke coach has picked up 22 points from his 10 Bundesliga games since replacing Jesse Marsch in December, while the Red Bulls also got past Real Sociedad to reach the last 16 of the Europa League on Thursday.
That competition was on Tedesco's mind. He started Nkunku on the bench as a result of the short turnaround but it was Friday's draw, and a reunion with a Spartak Moscow side he left last year, that was a hot topic post-match.
National teams take the lead
Given Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the location and feasibility of that fixture seems in some doubt, with the second leg likely to be on a neutral ground on March 17, a week after the game in Leipzig.
The Polish, Czech and Swedish national teams said they will not play the Russian national side in World Cup playoffs, before world governing body FIFA said no international matches could be held in the country and the Russian anthem, flag and fans would be banned for now. The Russian team can play under the banner of the RFU, or Russian Football Union.
RB Leipzig said earlier in the week that they expect UEFA, who run European football, to make a "timely" decision of their own. UEFA recently moved the Champions League final away from St. Petersburg.
"We are waiting for more information. It's clear that I would have liked a different framework for these games," Tedesco said after the match. "The current situation is bad...war is absolutely no solution in any situation."
Do boycotts work?
But, before FIFA's decision on Sunday night, Tedesco said he was unconvinced of the benefit of boycotting the match against his old employers, questioning who such a move benefits.
"History shows that it always hits the wrong people, first and foremost the athletes and the fans."
His stance seems somewhat at odds with the national associations who could have played Russia in the coming weeks, with the Czech federation saying on Sunday that: "it's not possible to play against the Russian national team in the current situation, not even on the neutral venue."
Polish federation president Cezary Kulesza tweeted, "We are not interested in participating in this game of appearances. Our stance remains intact: Polish National Team will NOT PLAY with Russia, no matter what the name of the team is''
Bayern Munich's Polish striker Robert Lewandowski struck a similar tone when he backed his national association's decision on Twitter on Satuday.
"It is the right decision! I can’t imagine playing a match with the Russian National Team in a situation when armed aggression in Ukraine continues. Russian footballers and fans are not responsible for this, but we can’t pretend that nothing is happening," he wrote.
Leipzig striker Yussuf Poulsen said earlier in the week that he thinks it is different in his club's circumstances. "UEFA is the decision-maker. If UEFA decides nothing other than that we should play on neutral ground, then that's the way it is. We can't do anything there, then we have to play the game," the Dane said.