In solidarity with Ukraine: players of Turkish giants refuse to play in tournament in Russia

Fenerbahçe Istanbul's legionnaires refuse to take part in an international tournament in St Petersburg, organised by Gazprom from 1 to 15 July. In addition to the Turkish club, the local Zenit, Azerbaijani Neftchi and Serbian Red Star have also entered the competition.

According to the Fotospor portal, Fenerbahçe's foreign players, led by Bosnian newcomer Edin Džeko, are against travelling to the aggressor country while it continues to wage a criminal war against Ukraine. "I stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine in this difficult time," the star striker commented.

Earlier, the full Bosnia and Herzegovina national team refused to take part in a friendly match with the Russians, which was scheduled to take place on 19 November last year in St Petersburg. As a result, the BiH Football Federation was forced to cancel the sparring match with representatives of the aggressor country.

As a reminder, Fenerbahçe president Ali Koç, who refused to apologise to Ukraine, pompously called himself "the only one who defends Russia".

Last season, during a Champions League match against Dynamo Kyiv, Fenerbahçe fans chanted the name of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. Later, at the Europa League match with Kyiv, the Canaries' fans staged a new pro-Russian provocation - they posed with the flag of the aggressor country.

As reported by OBOZREVATEL, honorary president of the Russian Football Union Vyacheslav Koloskov said that UEFA and FIFA are "waiting for Russia to return to world football".

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