Fenerbahce fined for Putin chants

Turkish side to pay 50,000 euros after fans sing Russian president’s name against Kyiv

PARIS:

Turkish side Fenerbahce were fined 50,000 euros ($50,900) by UEFA on Friday after their fans chanted Russian president Vladimir Putin's name during a Champions League match against Ukraine's Dynamo Kyiv.

Supporters sang the name of Putin after Vitaliy Buyalskyi's goal for Dynamo in the Ukrainian club's 2-1 extra-time victory, which dumped the Turks out of the Champions League last month.

The first leg had ended 0-0 in a game played in Poland because of Russia's invasion.

As well as the fine, UEFA ordered a partial closure of the Fenerbahce stadium in its next European campaign.

A statement said that the UEFA Appeals Body had decided to "fine Fenerbahce 50,000 euros and to order the partial closure of Fenerbahce stadium, which shall consist of at least 5,000 seats, during the next UEFA club competition match."

The punishment was for "the throwing of objects and transmitting a provocative message of an offensive nature, i.e. illicit chants."

Putin has questioned the Ukrainian nation's right to exist and branded its leaders as "Nazis" who must be deposed.

The five-month war has claimed thousands of lives and featured relentless missile and rocket attacks against Ukrainian cities that have killed civilians daily.

Last week, Ukraine's envoy to Turkey expressed "sadness" over the chants and Fenerbahce initially said their fans' behaviour did "not represent the stance and values of our club".

"It is very sad to hear the words of support from Fenerbahce's fans for a Russian murderer and aggressor who bombed our country," Ukraine's ambassador Vasyl Bodnar tweeted.

But Fenerbahce club president Ali Koc hit out at Ukrainian officials.

"We're not going to apologise to Ukraine," he said. "It's up to the Ukrainian ambassador and the foreign minister's spokesperson to apologise to us, after their inappropriate remarks.

"I think it was an inappropriate and unnecessary chant, far from how we view ourselves as a club. But what can we do? Shut their mouths?"