Poland drop player from national team after transfer to Russian club

Full-back Maciej Rybus has moved from Lokomotiv to Spartak Moscow

Full-back Maciej Rybus has moved from Lokomotiv to Spartak Moscow (Getty Images)

Poland’s Maciej Rybus will not be considered for selection at this year’s World Cup after the defender moved from one Russian club to another.

While most foreign players have left Russia following the country’s invasion of Ukraine, 32-year-old full-back Rybus, who has played 66 times for Poland, moved to Spartak Moscow this month after a five-year spell with local rivals Lokomotiv.

Poland is a staunch ally of Kyiv and has been one of Ukraine’s biggest financial supporters since the invasion in February, which Moscow describes as a “special operation”.

“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 Polish FA said in a statement.

“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 be considered for the team that would go to the World Cup in Qatar.”

Poland will face Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Argentina in the group stage of the World Cup, which kicks off on 21 November.