FIFA falls short with Russia punishment on weekend football shows its support to Ukraine – The Warm-Up
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Updated 28/02/2022 at 10:27 GMT
FIFA telling Russia they can play football under the guise of the Football Union of Russia despite the fact the nation is invading Ukraine has unsurprisingly not gone down well. Elsewhere, on a weekend of heightened emotions, including at Goodison Park, there was the briefest of statements from an owner whose club then released a follow-up the morning after which was not entirely well received.
Liverpool fans hold banners in support of Ukraine to indicate peace and sympathy with Ukraine prior to the Carabao Cup Final match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Wembley Stadium
Image credit: Getty Images
MONDAY’S BIG STORIES
Football does its bit – in the main
On a sporting weekend filled with tributes, statements and poignant moments amid the suffering in Ukraine, perhaps the most remembered will be compatriots Vitaliy Mykolenko and Oleksandr Zinchenko embracing some 2,000 miles from a homeland that is under attack.
It was a reminder that footballers can’t simply stick to football, that sport can’t avoid ‘politics’, and that the magnitude of this crisis goes well beyond one nation. There will be sceptics out there criticising what they may deem as empty gestures at stadia on the other side of Europe, but there can be no denying English football in the main used its platform to get a message across this weekend, including ahead of one of the biggest games in its calendar.
But beyond the images at Wembley and an emotional Zinchenko briefly hugging and speaking with Mykolenko at Goodison Park, perhaps the weekend will also be remembered for the lack of action from the sport’s governing body.
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Vitalii Mykolenko (R) of Everton and. Oleksandr Zinchenko of Ukraine before the Premier League match between Everton and Manchester City at Goodison Park
Image credit: Getty Images
FIFA took all weekend to respond to an immensely brave and selfless (given the circumstances), unified stance from Poland, the Czech Republic and Sweden – who are all refusing to play Russia in upcoming World Cup qualifiers – and it then took the Polish and Swedish FA mere moments to voice their dissatisfaction with the response.
Russia has been ordered by FIFA to play under the guise of the Football Union of Russia, in neutral territory, and without the use of their flag or anthem. These measures were deemed “totally unacceptable” by the Polish FA, who quite understandably do not want to play against Russia full stop. FIFA’s “ongoing dialogue” suggests they could yet remove Russia from the competition, a move that would seemingly be welcomed by the majority, but their soft punishment has been widely slammed.
Kepa over world’s best keeper
Chasing the 19th trophy of the Abramovich era, not quite the charitable foundation era given they are yet to agree to the role it would seem, Chelsea were denied on penalties after a thrilling 0-0 (yes, really) as Jurgen Klopp picked up his first League Cup with Liverpool.
After VAR calls this way and that and some big saves too, it went down to a shootout which Caoimhín Kelleher was kept in for but Edouard Mendy was shifted aside for Kepa Arrizabalaga – a move which spectacularly backfired as Kepa blazed his penalty over for Liverpool to win 11-10.
“No worries and no regrets,” Chesea boss Thomas Tuchel said afterwards, having seen Kepa play the hero when replacing Mendy late on in the UEFA Super Cup last year.
"We did it before with Kepa,” Tuchel added. “He is slightly better in penalty saving and that is why I made the decision. Sometimes these things can turn against you but you make them when they need to be made, not after when people can judge you.”
Perhaps that will be the end of the Kepa experiment though. And when Mendy has just won an Africa Cup of Nations final on penalties, making a save to help Senegal end their wait for glory, it would perhaps have been best to stick with the man dubbed The Best at FIFA’s recent awards. Hindsight, eh.
IN OTHER NEWS
Bielsa sacked
As the weeks have gone by and the results have come in, it has been almost mystifying to see Leeds United still somehow floating above the relegation zone. That may not last much longer, however.
They are the Premier League's most out of form team having picked up one point in their last six games, conceding 21 goals in the process, and that has proved too costly a run for a man whose position would have perhaps been safe had it not been for the manner of the defeats.
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Bielsa sacked after 4-0 loss leaves Leeds 2 pts clear of relegation zone
A 4-0 after a 6-0 after a 4-2 after a 3-0 – and that is that for Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds, an immensely popular head coach who will fondly be remembered for taking the club back up to the Premier League.
Bielsa went above and beyond the role of Leeds boss, he will go down as an icon of the city, but there will be no pitchside bucket in the fight against relegation. Instead, it would appear Jesse Marsch is the man tasked with saving Leeds. The announcement could even be today, and it is undoubtedly a daunting role for the former US head coach who lasted just 21 games at RB Leipzig.
IN THE CHANNELS
Impossible, unless you wear blue, not to be delighted for Caoimhín Kelleher, whose journey from striker to goalkeeper to scoring the winning penalty at Wembley is quite remarkable!
COMING UP
A fairly quiet evening on the football front. There's West Brom taking on Swansea in the Championship and a splattering of European games. Tomorrow - midweek FA Cup!
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