Thus our club has been obliged to play their next two home matches in European competition behind closed doors.
The first match behind closed doors applies to the next Uefa club competition match for which the club would qualify, while the sanction for the second match is deferred for a probationary period of three years. The Ukrainian club is going to lodge an appeal against this decision.
Frankly speaking, the UEFA decision to punish Dynamo for their fans’ racist behavior has puzzled me. I quite agree that our fans are not goody-goodies. Sometimes they come drunk to the stadium, sometimes they use obscene language, sometimes they even fight… But racism is something extraordinary!
First of all, the term “racism” is derived from the word “race” and means discrimination or disrespect of people of different race. But where can one find them in our country? We are not in France. The number of people of another race in Ukraine is close to statistical error. That’s not our fault! It has historically developed in such a way. Maybe UEFA representatives are not aware of that fact? They’ve got used to people of different races surrounding them all the time. And then they came to Ukraine and saw that the majority of population is of the same race. So they became suspicious. Maybe they think that people of different races are afraid to leave their homes in Ukraine and no one explained them the situation.
All kidding aside, the UEFA website and other sources stated that racist behavior was noticed at the NSC Olimpiyskyi during Dynamo Champions League games against PSG and FC des Girondins de Bordeaux. As the White-Blues faced the Paris side, the Kyivans’ fans supported Bulgarian nationalists with a help of a banner… in Bulgarian language. That’s considered to be a racist act.
But that’s not the point. The point is that during both of these games some fans raised their hands and shouted something like “sieg heil”. It just looked like that. Some also demonstrated pictures which looked like crosses and swastika. The UEFA reputable representatives fighting against racism consider it to be “manifestations of fascism” which is a form of racism…
Do you remember such old Odessa anecdote: “You are wrong, mom!” – “Wrong? Do you mean I’m a liar? You mean I lie like a dog? Did you hear that, people? He called me a bitch!”
I attended those games. I remember dramatic game, emotions of supporters. But I don’t remember any racism. And I’m sure no one does. People who came to the stadium to follow the match attentively, but not to look for “manifestations of racism” saw neither the banner in Bulgarian nor “something like fascist gestures”. Only the person who wanted to see it could notice racism.
What if UEFA representatives translated the word supporters call referees when they make mistakes? That would have been a great problem! We would have been accused of sexual minorities public discrimination and expelled from UEFA!
That would have been funny but for harsh sanctions against Dynamo and the team’s loyal fans. Why must they suffer because of some European Football Union representatives’ desire to fight against racism?
Aren’t people who represent such reputable organization aware of the fact that there is no racism in Ukraine? Didn’t they visit our country during Euro-2012 when all foreign guests admired Ukrainian hospitability?
Let me repeat: having such a desire one can find not only racists among 60 thousand spectators, but many other bad phenomena. Every pose looks like Ancient Egyptians’ or Genghis Khan’s warriors’ salute or Vikings’ gestures or Polynesian aborigines’ jokes in this or that way.
What if someone wants to set our football club and country up? For example some lady takes her jersey off and the international observer sees some inscription on her chest! How can one avoid that?
Must all fans be undressed before every game? That’s worse than racism! Who can stop a group of hooligans if they want to shout something?
But the point is that there was no racism at the NSC Olimpiyskyi. No one saw it. Mysterious poses of some fans, noticed by vigilant “racism fighters” can be explained in a different way. But unfortunately those who wanted to notice racism have noticed it. Even though there was no racism at all. And they decided to punish players and their fans who are not in the very least.
Maybe someone will translate this article into the Swiss language and read it to the UEFA representatives. Do you think there’s no Swiss language? But there is Switzerland and there must be Swiss language. If there is no such language – we’ll find it just like a gentlemen from Switzerland found racism at the NSC Olimpiyskyi…
