Razeen Gutta
Thousands of fans chanted the name of Russian President Vladimir Putin after Fenerbahce conceded a goal to Ukrainian champions Dynamo Kyiv in Istanbul on Wednesday.
Uefa have opened an investigation into the events of the Champions League qualifying round tie, with goalscorer Vitaliy Buyalskyi’s celebration appearing to cause the chants.
Buyalskyi made an eagle gesture with his hands after giving Dynamo the lead, something the home fans believed to be an imitation of their rivals Besiktas’ crest.
The incident comes less than a month before the resumption of the Ukrainian Premier League which was abandoned after Russia’s invasion of the country in February.
Ukrainian officials have expressed sadness at the occurrences with ambassador Vasyl Bodnar saying that the chants don’t make sense.
“We will never understand the words of support for the Russian killer and aggressor who deliberately kills Ukrainians and destroys our country. Even football, which is so loved in Turkey, has its limits,” he wrote on Facebook.
Dynamo Kyiv manager Mircea Lucescu, too, expressed his displeasure at the behaviour of the Fenerbahce fans.
“I cannot accept the behaviour of the fans. I did not expect such chants. It is a pity,” Lucescu said.
Dynamo Kyiv won the match 2-1 after the goalless first leg was played in Poland due to Russia’s invasion.
Image source: @ArabNews
