Lokomotiv Moscow midfielder Dmitri Tarasov faces disciplinary action for revealing a cut-off T-shirt with Russian President Vladimir Putin on it following a match against Turkish club Fenerbahce.
The shirt displayed a picture of Putin accompanied by the words, “The most polite president.” Tarasov faces sanction for his display during a Europa League match due to the UEFA rules banning political statements during matches.
Tarasov’s display is particularly notable when considering the context of his actions. This match was the most notable sporting event between teams from the two countries since Turkey shot down a Russian warplane in November.
After the game — a 2-0 victory for the Turkish side, Fenerbahce — Tarasov did not back down from his actions, saying, “This is my president. I respect him and decided to show that I am ready to support him where ever I am. I wrote on this T-shirt everything that I wanted to say.”
Tensions were high from the start of the match. Bottles were thrown at the Lokomotiv bus by fans and three fans were detained by Turkish police following the match’s conclusion.
There is not yet word on the specifics of Tarasov’s punishment from UEFA. However, the association fined Barcelona €30,000 after supporters presented banners calling for Catalonia’s independence from Spain during the Champions League final against Juventus.
[BBC/Photo: AP]
