Dynamo Kyiv appalled by Fenerbahçe fans’ Putin chant
Fans of Turkish club Fenerbahçe taunted Dynamo Kyiv by singing the name of Vladimir Putin during a Champions League qualifying tie.
Dynamo Kyiv coach Mircea Lucescu expressed outrage after fans of opponents Fenerbahçe sang the name of Vladimir Putin in Wednesday’s Champions League qualifier. Lucescu boycotted the post-match news conference in protest, with the chants beginning after Oleksandr Karavayev gave the Ukrainian visitors a decisive 1-2 lead in the second leg in Istanbul.
Dynamo progress
The goal came in the 114th minute, after the teams were level at 1-1 at the end of normal time, and it proved to be a match-winner. It was enough to give Dynamo a 1-2 aggregate victory, carrying them through to the third qualifying round, where they will face Sturm Graz of Austria.
According to Ukrainian news outlet Expres, Lucescu told broadcasters: “We cannot accept the behaviour of the fans. I did not expect such chants. It is a pity.”
Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, ordered by president Putin, has led to the deaths of thousands of civilians and forces defending the country, while millions of refugees have fled to neighbouring nations. On 18 July, the United Nations said it had recorded 5,110 civilian deaths since Russia’s attack began on 24 February, plus a further 6,752 injured.