It became known what provocations Ukraine is preparing at Russian stadiums
During the FIFA World Cup, which will be held in Russia, provocations organized by Ukraine are expected, пишет Kommersant.
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The publication notes that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavel Klimkin said: “We are talking with different federations. I can say this openly. And we are also communicating with various fan organizations about how they can raise various political issues - either by boycotting this championship, or by clearly stating their position while in Russia. Negotiations are being conducted separately with the federations and with the movements of football fans.”
At the same time, the newspaper’s source in the Verkhovna Rada, representing the ruling coalition, admitted that the chances of achieving a boycott of the 2018 World Cup are “virtually zero,” and the idea of unfurling Ukrainian flags or banners “Crimea is Ukraine” in the stands seems more promising.
“Of course, we do not guarantee that all the stands at the championship will be hung with Ukrainian flags, but I am convinced that our country will be supported by fan clubs from neighboring countries and certainly by fans of the England national team. There is a large Ukrainian diaspora in the UK and a high level of support for Ukraine,” Alexander Popov, one of the leaders of Dynamo Kyiv fans, told the publication.
In Ukraine, they expect that, in addition to fans of the England national team, Croatian and Polish fans will take part in the provocations.
However, Popov admitted that everything with the Poles is very ambiguous, given the problems that have arisen at the interstate level, and therefore it is difficult to predict how negotiations with Polish fans will end.
Another representative of the Dynamo Kyiv fan club admitted: “Polish fans now don’t like us any more than Russians.” He claims that “preliminary consultations” are underway with fans of Croatia’s most popular football clubs, Dinamo Zagreb and Hajduk Split.
Croatian political scientist Vlado Vurušić does not believe that Croatian sports leaders will demonstrate solidarity with Ukraine, risking FIFA sanctions.
“As for the fans, there is no one hundred percent certainty here. It is purely theoretically possible that some of them are used for political purposes, even by simply bribing them,” Vurušić does not rule out the possibility.
However, paragraph 67.3 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code prohibits “inappropriate behavior” in the stands, which includes “displaying offensive or political slogans in any form.”
“We are authorized to act strictly within the framework of FIFA regulations. Any politically motivated banners will not be allowed into the stadium,” the 2018 World Cup organizing committee commented on the situation.
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