Poland Will Not Select Maciej Rybus For World Cup After He Chose To Sign For Russian Club

The Polish soccer association has informed Maciej Rybus that he will not be picked to represent Poland at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Rybus, 32, is an experienced international, having been capped 66 times since making his debut in 2009.

But he will no longer be considered for selection after signing for Russian club Spartak Moscow.

Rybus joined Spartak on a free transfer from another Russian club after his contract with Lokomotiv Moscow expired at the end of May.

Maciej Rybus pictured playing for Poland against England in 2021

IMAGO/Newspix

The Polish soccer association took a firm stance in February after Russia invaded Ukraine.

Poland had been due to face Russia in a World Cup qualifying semi-final in March, but Poland refused to fulfill the fixture.

Russia and all Russian teams were later disqualified from all FIFA and UEFA competitions until further notice.

As Russian aggression in Ukraine is ongoing, that ban still stands.

Poland's stance remains firm too, hence the decision to deny Rybus a place at the World Cup based on his decision to sign a new contract with a Russian team.

A statement from the Polish FA read: "The coach of the Polish national team, Czeslaw Michniewicz, talked to Maciej Rybus, who was currently staying in Poland, after the training camp of the national team ended last week.

"The coach informed the player that, due to his current club situation, he would not be called up for the September training camp of the national team and would not take into account the team that would go to the World Cup in Qatar when determining the composition of the team."

Poland shares a land border with Ukraine and has since taken in over 3.5 million refugees since Russia's invasion in February.