Lokomotiv Moscow midfielder Dmitri Tarasov on Tuesday stoked tensions after a Europa League clash between the Moscow club and Turkish giants Fenerbahce SK by revealing a T-shirt praising Russian President Vladimir Putin underneath his club strip.
The first-leg clash in the round of 32 of the Europa League was the most significant sporting encounter involving the two countries since Turkey shot down of a Russian warplane on the Syrian border on Nov. 24 last year, which caused a diplomatic crisis unprecedented since the Cold War.
To the joy of home fans, Fenerbahce won the match 2-0, but the attention of the Turkish media focused on the behavior of Tarasov after the final whistle.
Photo: AP
He stripped off his Lokomotiv shirt to reveal a picture of Putin in military gear with the slogan “the most polite president.”
The words were a reference to the euphemism used in Russia for Russian soldiers who carried out the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, who are known as “polite people.”
It comes as Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are engaged in a war of words over Syria.
“A Putin provocation from a Russian footballer,” fumed the pro-government Yeni Safak daily in its headline.
There were no reports of trouble between home and visiting fans, but Fenerbahce’s Portuguese coach Vitor Pereira complained over the behavior of his opposite number at Lokomotiv, Igor Cherevchenko.
“I want to express a sadness: the Lokomotiv coach did not greet me,” Pereira said. “I feel very sad. Even if we fight with the limits of football, we can still greet each other. Football and politics are different things.”
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