Dynamo is demanding that UEFA respond to the Russian flag in the stands at PAOK
Kyiv's Dynamo has appealed to the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to respond to the display of the Russian flag by fans of Greece's PAOK during a Europa League qualifying match.
Dynamo emphasized that soccer should unite countries and peoples who share democratic values, rather than become a platform for political provocations.
The club also noted that after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, UEFA suspended Russian clubs and national teams from participating in European tournaments.
In its appeal to the European soccer governing body, Dynamo called on it to demonstrate the same principled stance and consistency regarding the incident involving Russian symbols as it does in the fight against racism and xenophobia.
“On the eve of the second leg between PAOK and Kyiv’s Dynamo, we urge the leaders of the Old World’s top soccer governing body to demonstrate the same principled stance and consistency as they demonstrate regarding manifestations of racism and xenophobia, and to assess the blatant provocations directed at our club and our country in order to prevent such provocations from recurring,” the club’s statement reads.
Dynamo expects UEFA to issue an official assessment of the actions of PAOK fans and to take measures to ensure that such incidents do not recur during international soccer matches.
This was reported by “Glavkom,” citing a statement from the Kyiv-based club.
As a reminder, the Ukrainian 7-a-side soccer team won the European championship title for the first time in history. In the final match of the continental championship, the “blue-and-yellows” defeated the tournament hosts—the Italian team.
Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Khizhnyak secured his second victory in the professional ring.
