Several Ukrainian clubs, including Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kiev, were outraged by a video published Saturday morning by FC Barcelona in which Sergi Roberto and Alejandro Baldé thank their Russian supporters.
A very bad video. Many Ukrainian clubs, such as Shakhtar Donetsk or Dynamo kyiv, were indignant at the publication by FC Barcelona of a message of thanks to the Russian supporters of the Catalan club.
“This title is also yours”
“A greeting to all the Barça supporters who follow us from Russia. We will see each other soon”, launches the young left-back Alejandro Baldé at the start of the video. “To the fans who come from Russia: thank you for your support and your energy. This title is also yours and I hope we can win many more”, continues Sergi Roberto. Messages that go very badly in Ukraine, while La Liga has always been engaged alongside the country since the start of the Russian invasion.
“While Russia is bombing peaceful Ukrainian cities with missiles, killing the civilian population, our heroes are dying and ordinary Russians are watching or even silently supporting this war – Barcelona are recording a video in which they address Russian fans and congratulates them”, annoys the Ukrainian journalist Vitalyi Kravchenko when he comments on the match between Barça and Real Sociedad on Saturday evening.
“Shame on Barca”
The man is all the more surprised to see such a message being broadcast by FC Barcelona that Spain has supported Ukraine since the start of the war by providing military and humanitarian aid and that the Blaugrana President Joan Laporta himself has repeated his support for the country on many occasions. “Shame on Barça, on Alejandro Balde and Sergi Roberto”, he concluded in his monologue before the meeting.
An indignation which followed suit with the various Ukrainian clubs. “FC Barcelona, we must remind you that the Russians are not part of your La Liga title, but a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. And hundreds or even thousands of Ukrainian football fans, including your supporters, are dying,” Karpaty Lviv wrote on its Twitter account on Saturday.
All Ukrainian clubs condemn
“We strongly recommend that FC Barcelona players get closer to their Russian fans and apply for participation in the Russian championship,” quipped Dynamo Kyiv, with an image of the Desna Chernihiv pitch, completely destroyed by bombs. Russians at the start of the invasion.
Metalist 1925 invites him to FC Barcelona in Kharkiv, a city heavily bombarded by Russia since the start of the invasion: “Russia, which they adore, is only a few tens of seconds away in the flight of rockets.”
Shakhtar challenge Lewandowski
“While our soldiers go through a rehabilitation process in Barcelona, FC Barcelona players Sergi Roberto and Alejandro Balde are recording a video message to fans of the country that is killing Ukrainians, killing children and destroying our cities right now, writes from his side the Shakhtar. No victory, no hundred thousand t-shirts sold are worth a human life. The photos show two Ukrainian servicemen, Vitalii Shumei and Bohdan Kush, who were seriously injured as a result of the Russian aggression and are currently being treated in Barcelona.”
Before questioning Robert Lewandowski: “Robert Lewandowski, do you consider this situation to be normal? As captain of the national team of Poland, the country that helps Ukraine a lot, you must understand the extent of the tragedy and the absurdity of such an act.”
“The club will take measures”
And the Pole ended up answering, questioned by the Polish media Interia Sport: “I discovered the video some time later and, to put it mildly, I was very surprised. I inquired with the club about the situation, and I know that was not an official position, but a statement during a meeting with media holding La Liga broadcasting rights.”
“In such situations, you [les joueurs] often don’t even know who you’re talking to. Of course, this is not an excuse, because it is clear that something has not been taken into account and that the result of all this is very bad, deplores Robert Lewandowski. As far as I know, the club will take action in response to this situation.”
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