“He is not to blame for anything, but he is being “killed”: how football players and coaches playing in Russia face discrimination

Political pressure on Russian sports from Western states and international federations is not weakening.

At the same time, paradoxically, foreign athletes who decide to compete in Russia are increasingly under attack.

So, the Pole Maciej Rybus lost the opportunity to play for the national team at the World Cup after he accepted the offer of Spartak.

And on Tuesday, September 6, it became known that the Norwegian Mathias Normann, who moved to Dynamo, found himself in a similar situation.

The president of the Norwegian Football Association, Lise Claveness, said that the athlete would not be called up to the team if he signed an agreement with the Russian club.

Normann has already been informed about this by head coach Stole Solbakken.

The official also stressed that all European and Norwegian football are ready to continue to put pressure on Russia in connection with the events in Ukraine.

“The federation should not comment in any way on which club the players of the national team choose for themselves, but now we are in an extraordinary situation.

All Russian teams have been suspended from international sports competitions.

Ståle and I agree that Normann cannot represent Norway while playing for a new Russian club," Claveness said.

According to Solbakken himself, it was not difficult to cross the midfielder off the list.

At the same time, the coach emphasized that the doors of the national team were not completely closed for Norman.

Naturally, the main demand will be a severance of relations with Russia.

“He decided to sign a contract with a Russian club.

We immediately announced that he would not be in the national team as long as the situation remains the same.

He had the opportunity to change position.

I believe that he made the wrong decision, which will have consequences.

Let's see if Matthias returns to the national team one day.

It is still possible, ”said the specialist.

The federation puts its athlete in front of a difficult choice: a successful career or playing for the national team.

As Norman himself admits, the proposal of the blue and white is the best for him in the current situation, both from a sports and everyday point of view.

“I prefer not to return to Rostov, as it is close to the border with Ukraine.

It’s safer in Moscow and there is a bigger club there, ”said the Norwegian.

Norman is well known to domestic fans for his performances for Rostov, which he joined in January 2019.

The Norwegian immediately became one of the leaders of the team and in the very first full season helped him take fifth place in the Russian championship.

Last summer, he got a chance to prove himself in the Premier League and went on loan to Norwich.

For the Canaries, the midfielder played 25 matches in all tournaments, but failed to convince the management to activate the buyout option.

Thus, Matthias faced the prospect of returning to the camp of the yellow-blues, but at first he himself was not eager to play in the Russian Federation again.

“At that time (in March. - 

) I did not want to return to Russia.

Now there are many factors over which I have no control.

If I've learned anything in my career, it's that you can't mix politics and football.

I'm going to play football and I'm very happy about it, ”said the midfielder.

The choice in favor of Russia was also made by the Czech coach of Orenburg, Marcel Lichka.

He admits that in the spring, during the mass departure of foreigners, he also thought about such a possibility, since the situation was very uncertain.

“I didn’t know how and what would happen.

On the other hand, I have never been interested in politics.

I am an athlete, my business is football.

Some may criticize me for my decision, but that's the way it is.

I stayed, ”the Championship specialist quotes.

He did not rule out that when returning to his homeland it might be difficult for him to find a job, but he remained true to his current choice.

“They might say to me: “You worked in Russia, we don’t want you.”

Everything can be.

I decide where I go: left, right or straight ahead.

This is my opinion... Today everyone likes to talk about how to live and how not to live.

I don't need to do that.

I live here and now.

What will happen tomorrow - I do not know.

What happened yesterday is already history, ”Lichka emphasized.

In his opinion, ruining careers for athletes for political reasons is wrong.

In particular, the coach expressed sympathy for Rybus, who was left out of the national team on the eve of the World Cup.

Does he have a Russian wife?

Yes?

It’s hard - he’s not guilty of anything, and now he is being “killed”.

In my opinion, this is wrong.

I saw that the Swedish hockey players will not be allowed into the national team if they play in the KHL ... It's hard to talk about this topic.

What does the person want?

Live in peace.

Go on vacation to France or Thailand, be able to manage your money for a good vacation.

And now they are being told: you are a Russian, so you will not go anywhere.

Although the person did his job and earned money himself, ”complained Lichka.

Despite the international situation, Damien Le Tallec, who signed an agreement with Torpedo, also went to the RPL this summer.

For him, this is not the first experience of being in Russia.

In 2014-2016, the athlete represented Mordovia, then he met his future wife, a native of Saransk, Christina.

Now he has not only a house in Moscow, but also a Russian passport, and at one time he could well become a player in the national team.

However, he ran into bureaucratic obstacles, as he was played for the youth teams of France.

According to FIFA rules, in this case, it is impossible to change sports citizenship.

“There is no need to talk about it at the moment.

Yes, I want to, I asked, but FIFA rejected the request.

Because I played for the French national team.

This is their decision, not mine, ”TASS quoted Le Tallec as saying.