The fight between Russian and Ukrainian footballers was provoked by the latter. This was stated in a conversation with Izvestia by the Soviet football player and coach Vladimir Ponomarev.
“It was a real provocation on the part of the Ukrainians, one hundred percent. Our guys are always restrained, they cannot behave like that abroad,” Ponomarev explained.
In his opinion, the Ukrainian athletes deliberately provoked the conflict.
Moreover, Ponomarev said that similar provocations by citizens of Ukraine have already happened.
On February 13, at the Turkish Royal Seginus hotel in Antalya, a fight broke out between Russian football players from Shinnik and Ukrainian football players from Minay. In the video, you can see how a member of one of the teams approaches a player from another club and hits him.
On February 14, the Russian Consulate General in Antalya stated that the fight was provoked by the inappropriate behavior of Ukrainian athletes. A member of the diplomatic mission arrived at the scene. It is specified that the conflict was eventually recognized as settled, since its participants from both sides did not put forward claims against each other. The consulate added that the injured Russian athletes did not need medical assistance.
The Russian club, in turn, accused the hotel management of violating the requirements for the safety of players. It was also reported that Shinnik launched an investigation into the incident.
