“Let someone bark, blather. Ahead of the war "
One of the most discussed phenomena in Russian football is the insults of players by fans. Profanity at Artyom Dziuba has sounded twice in the stadiums over the past two weeks, and in the near future this story may get an unpleasant continuation. It is highly likely that during the match of the 18th round of the RPL between Zenit and Spartak, the current and former striker clubs, the fans will again take over the old.
The hostility towards the striker unexpectedly for many began during the away game against San Marino. Some fans began to insult Dziuba in a single rush, and their obscene chants were on the air. Previously, the attacker, like many other players who turned into irreconcilable enemies at the club level, had to hear a mate in his address, but this happened to him in the national team for the first time.
These events only added fuel to the fire - after the match, the captain of the national team, unlike other players of the national team, did not approach the fans, declined to comment and unsubscribed on Instagram from the team’s account and a number of football players. They actively stood up for him in the Russian Football Union (RFU) and promised to punish the fans, but the effect was the opposite.
Fans of “Spartak” during the match of the championship of Russia with “Ural” again remembered Dziuba and “dedicated” their obscene charges to him. For this, the former striker club was fined the maximum possible amount - 100 thousand rubles, but did not suffer a more severe punishment - closing the guest rostrum for one match, which would just be a meeting with Zenit in St. Petersburg.
At the end of November, Dziuba took part in the Champions League match with Lyon and brought victory to his team, after which he broke the vow of silence. But his comments, given to the Zenith press service, can now make the fans who come from Moscow for the Sunday match even more irritating.
“I had a difficult week? I don’t understand what you mean. I don’t know where it all comes from. I'm just happy, let someone bark, blather - I calmly do my job. I will answer the field. Notice, I’m not commenting anywhere. Someone there is fanning everything, but everyone believes everything. Someone there is something ... I am not going to go to everyone, to prove and explain something. Now we need to think about Spartak, of course. Today I will think about my boys, tomorrow I will have a good and calm rest, and the day after tomorrow I will begin to think and get ready for the match. Basically, I keep that in mind, why be cunning. We'll see. Ahead of the war. We will try to win, ”said Dzyuba.
The central match of the 18th round can also be overshadowed by the insulting behavior of fans, or even more sad events, because Zenit fans can stand up for their player, and then there will be no riots in the stands of Gazprom Arena or on the way to them to avoid. These events, however, will clearly overshadow what is happening on the football field, and then the RFU will probably think about taking more serious measures to fundamentally correct the situation.
“In recent years, the mat has become significantly smaller”
Commenting on the conflict between fans and Dziuba, the former Zenit footballer Vladislav Radimov, in an interview with RT, recalled how his wife Tatyana Bulanova was subjected to similar obstructions, and expressed the opinion that the attacker would only reignite the negative.
“Previously, during a match with Spartak in Moscow, the entire stadium in a chorus offended my wife Tatyana Bulanova. Then I went to Yegor Titov and said that I would just leave the field if this did not stop. Of course, it was unpleasant. It's hard to control your emotions. Therefore, I can perfectly understand Juba. It is quite possible that Artyom will only benefit from it. But I think that it will be unpleasant for any person if such things begin to be chanted at him. Dziuba is also a man. Once they shouted something at you, the second ... It’s impossible to endure forever, ”said Radimov.
The head coach of the Zenit-2 club added that now the situation in Russian stadiums has become better, but decisive measures will be required to completely correct the situation.
“In recent years, the mat has become noticeably smaller. Ten years ago, the problem was much more acute. Not a single match in Russia could do without obscene chants from fans. Now this has become much less, and the new handsome stadiums simply do not have to swearing obscene. It seems to me that this is just a bad manners, ”said Radimov.
“Of course, it is necessary to fight with obscenities in stadiums. Strict measures must be taken. Remember how you once fought against the illegal behavior of fans in England. Then the whole country was simply excommunicated from the European competition for five years, after which the situation went smoothly. Still, one must not forget that children and women come to football. Why should they listen to this? ”The expert added.
In turn, the former Spartak midfielder Alexander Mostovoy expressed the opinion that the newly raised problem of the mat was exaggerated.
“Nothing terrible happened, chanting in the stands is, unfortunately, a regular event. You could say this is part of football life. At some matches, for example at the Moscow derby or at the meetings of Zenit and Spartak, this will always happen. Fans have the right to express their opinion, but depending on the form. I have heard so much in my career, although I was lucky - they didn’t shout a lot at me. But I saw guys on whom a lot fell. Nothing wrong with that. Both of them need to be more calm about this, as are the media, which inflate very much. Now, after all, whoever screams and yells more is becoming more popular. Well, they shouted, I would also be unpleasant. In the RPL, they should not apply sanctions to clubs for this, because it happens everywhere, and then you can simply close all your mouths with tape, ”Mostovoy said.
"Galitsky was able to eradicate mate in the stands by rewards, not punishments"
The well-known trainer Haji Hajiyev urged to focus on the experience of “Krasnodar” in terms of working with fans in order to suppress negative phenomena in the stands. The specialist also turned to the fans of Spartak and advised them to recall their history, the many cultural figures who were worried about the club.
“Sergey Galitsky managed to eradicate the mat in the stands of his stadium. And not by punishment, but by encouragement. He truly serves football, lives a game and every day, every hour he is engaged in his large farm. We see a pattern worth imitating. Yes, it was easier for him, as the team did not have such traditions. Of course, managing this process in a club with such a history as Spartak’s is much more difficult. Although we remember that traditionally the fans of red and white were among the most intelligent. I remember the times when Muscovites were hurt by a large number of honored, popular artists, when there were many children and women in their stands. And now there is a wild mate in the stands, ”Hajiyev recalled.
At the same time, the specialist did not find an explanation of why the fans began to insult Dziuba precisely at the match of the national teams, because the national team should decide to support all the players.
“There are limits. When the situation goes beyond this, then it causes such a resonance. Perhaps the fans are offended that Dziuba is not in Spartak. Why did it start right now? Got a “good” moment in the team’s game, when someone didn’t score, someone didn’t go to the stands after the match. But we must understand that we are talking about a national team, we do not have another, so we need to support it. By the way, we differ from other countries in this. Therefore, the true reasons are not clear to me. This is not serious. The footballer who is leaving the field is impressed by the meeting, in which, perhaps, something did not work out, ”Hajiyev said.
According to another honored coach Valery Nepomnyashchy, what happened to Dziuba could become a deliberate provocation, although he was at a loss to say what was her need.
“I think it’s about someone’s order, the desire to provoke. I won’t tell anyone, but someone needs it. Perhaps Artyom once allowed himself to be reckless in his address to fans, although he usually separates the adequate from the inadequate. After all, he is Spartak in spirit, he has good relations with many status fans of red and white. I don’t think it will upset him much. Dziuba was used to the fact that he constantly needed to prove something, to the fact that someone always opposed him. It is clear that we are talking about a small bunch of fans, and not about all the fans of Spartak. Yes, the story is unpleasant, but I believe that Artyom will have the strength to cope, ”said Nepomnyashchy.
The specialist agreed with Mostov that it would be more logical to relate to the situation that has arisen, otherwise you will have to apply more and more serious sanctions to the fans.
“The Zenit - Spartak match will show how real the problem of profanity in the stands is. It seems to me that there is nothing serious. Otherwise, clubs would have to be punished, tribunes closed, and so on. In accordance with the regulations, the club is obliged to work with fans, as it is responsible for their behavior. Otherwise, sanctions follow, as any shout is entered into the match report, ”the specialist noted.
“I will never allow insults towards my team or coach”
The famous trainer and football fan Edgard Zapashny urged football fans to take an example from hockey - in this sport, in his opinion, it is impossible to imagine mass insults of players at national matches.
“I am extremely negative about when some fans at the stadium chant offensive language in the presence of a large number of people. I am the father of three children and do not want them to hear and see what sometimes happens in the stands. This is unacceptable, and I would not want the mat to become an integral part of our football and the atmosphere in the stadium. Recently, some have brought too much negativity, come to the arena to not watch football and are able to scare away hundreds of other people from it. It is necessary to respect those who come to the stadium for the first time or attend events on it. You can take a positive example of another popular sport in Russia - hockey. I have been to the world championships more than once, when our team won and lost. Hockey fans always support their team, even despite disappointing defeats, ”the artist recalled.
In turn, the parodist and fan of CSKA Mikhail Grushevsky also expressed his opinion about the recent situation in the stands.
“I have a very bad attitude to situations when fans massively insult one of the participants in the match, as well as to all insults. Unfortunately, we are now living in an era of haters. Being a public person, I know what it is. It should be understood that there are people who, through their actions, their creativity, attract haters. Their goal is to inflate the maximum scandal, ”Grushevsky admitted.
The artist added that he himself can’t resist during the game and say an indecent word out loud, but this happens unintentionally, impersonally and on emotions associated with feelings for his favorite team.
“I have a bad attitude towards swearing at stadiums, but, frankly, at times when my emotions are off the charts, I can afford the obscene definition of a judge. However, I will never allow this to the side of my team or coach. Then I regret my restraint. Of course, one can dream that football will become a territory without a mat, but I think it will not be soon, ”added Grushevsky.