UEFA will start a disciplinary investigation against Turkish club Fenerbahce over a group of its fans chanting Vladimir Putin’s name after conceding a goal at home to Ukrainian side Dynamo Kyiv in a Champions League qualifier.
European football’s governing said an “Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector will conduct a disciplinary investigation regarding alleged misbehaviour of Fenerbahce supporters” at the Dynamo Kyiv match, adding further information would be made available later.
Shortly after Fenerbahce’s Ismail Yuksek was sent off, Vitaliy Buyalskyi put the Ukrainian side ahead in the 57th minute. Buyalskyi’s celebration was met with chants supporting the Russian President by many Fenerbahce fans, prompting an online backlash condemning the Istanbul side’s fans and calling on European governing body UEFA to take action against the club.
The game ended 1-1 after 90 minutes but Dynamo knocked out Fenerbahce from the Champions League with a 114th-minute winner by Oleksandr Karavaev.
The pro-Putin chants came after Dynamo Kyiv’s first goal in the 57th minute
Vasyl Bodnar, Ukrainian Ambassador to Ankara, said on Twitter he was saddened by the chants but thanked those who stood against the “inappropriate actions” of the fans. “Football is a fair game. Dynamo Kyiv was stronger yesterday,” he said.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, calling it a “special military operation” to rid Ukraine of fascists, an assertion the Ukrainian government and its Western allies said was a baseless pretext for an unprovoked war.
NATO member Turkey shares a maritime border with Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea and has good ties with both. It has been trying to mediate the war, and last week helped broker an accord between the warring parties to resume Kyiv’s grain exports.
Ankara has repeatedly said it will not abandon its relations with either country due to strategic and commercial reasons, but has criticised Russia’s invasion and called on Moscow to stop the conflict. It has also provided military support to Kyiv and hosted peace talks.
Bodnar added that it was “very saddening” to hear the reaction of the Fenerbahce fans at a time when civilians in Ukraine were dying in Russian attacks on the country. The Russian embassy has declined to comment.
Dynamo Kyiv won the Champions League qualifying game, knocking out the Turkish club
In a statement on Thursday, Fenerbahce said the chants made by “some” fans did not represent the club, its position, or its views, adding that it stood firmly against the war in Ukraine.
Fenerbahce said the chants lasted 20 seconds and were prompted by the “exaggerated” celebrations of some Kyiv players after the goal.
“Whatever the reason may be, we as the Fenerbahce Sport Club absolutely reject the reaction coming from parts of our stands,” the club said, adding it was unfair to put blame on all its fans or the club for an act that “never represents our values.”