Fenerbahçe ‘will not apologize to Ukraine’

ISTANBUL

Fenerbahçe will not apologize to Ukraine for some fans’ “Vladimir Putin” chants during a Champions League qualifier against Dynamo Kiev on July 27 evening, Istanbul giant’s president has said.

When asked if Fenerbahçe will issue an apology to Ukraine, Ali Koç directly said, “No” on July 30 and added: “Besides, when we look at the Ukraine envoy’s expressions without measure, they should be the one apologizing us.”

After the match, Ukrainian ambassador Vasyl Bodnar said in a Facebook post that the incident had “saddened” him. “We will never understand the words of support for the Russian killer and aggressor who deliberately kills Ukrainians and destroys our country,” Bodnar wrote. “Even football, which is so loved in Türkiye, has its limits.”

Calling the chants as a “20-second-long incident,” Koç said, “I think it was a redundant and inappropriate chant.”

“But, what were we going to do? Zip their lips?” the club president asked and accused the Ukrainian players of provocation.

“Their goalkeeper made gestures creating tension before the match and after the first goal. The one who scored made such gestures, too,” Koç added.

The “Putin incident” occurred when Ukrainian midfielder Vitaliy Buyalskyi put Dynamo ahead in the 57th minute of the match and celebrated the goal by making an eagle gesture with his hands. The eagle is the symbol of Fenerbahçe’s archrival Beşiktaş. His celebration was met with chants of “Vladimir Putin,” the Russian leader, by many Fenerbahçe fans.

Koç also said he condemned all those trying to show the “20-second-long chant” a coordinated political action.

On July 28, European governing body UEFA issued a statement, saying, “The ethics and disciplinary inspector will conduct a disciplinary investigation regarding alleged misbehavior of Fenerbahçe supporters.”