STATEMENT FROM ISF

The ISF have taken a decision to withdraw the invitation for the Russian national 6 aside team to compete in the 2022 World Cup in Mexico in June.

Whilst we appreciate that the Russian team themselves may not support the actions of their Government, we believe it would be wrong to either endorse the actions of the Russian Government in any way by allowing one of their representative teams to play in international competition, nor would it be right to ask other countries to play Russia in the tournament, which might in itself lead other countries to withdraw from the tournament.

Leisure Leagues, the UK’s largest providers of 6aside football, and who have provided the majority funding for both our Lisbon and Crete World Cups in 2018 and 2019, currently have over 5000 playing members from Ukraine, and a further 65,000 members of Eastern European nationality.

It is important that we support these playing members, particularly our Ukrainian friends, during this difficult time for their country, and the European continent.