“I did it mechanically”: Malinovsky had to apologize to the Ukrainians for hugging Golovin after the match

“Insults and hate cause unpleasant feelings”

Monaco interrupted Marseille's six-match winning streak in Ligue 1. But the Ukrainian midfielder Ruslan Malinovsky had serious problems not because of the loss of his team, but because of the usual show of respect for the Russian Alexander Golovin.

After the final whistle, they shook hands, hugged and exchanged a few phrases.

The incident immediately provoked an angry reaction in Ukraine.

The player was heavily criticized in the media.

For example, the Internet portal Sport.ua called his act strange and at the same time did not even give Golovin's name in the title, using the words "Russian legionnaire of Monaco".

But the young man got much more from his compatriots in social networks.

Subscribers accused him of betrayal and stupidity.

“And where is the photo of hugs with Golovin?

Why are you footballers such unprincipled idiots?” wrote one of them.

Some congratulated the football player on the end of his performance for the national team, hinting that after such a call he would not receive there.

His wife Roxana Malinovskaya tried to intervene for him, who accused the journalists of wanting to collect views on what happened, and the fans of breeding dirt.

“That is why they are there and you are here… fighting with your own players and inciting hatred towards each other.

Who is very interested, find a better video of this moment.

And by the fact that you spread dirt in the comments, you only help these publics to promote themselves at the expense of someone else's name, ”the girl wrote on social networks.

As a result, Malinovsky published a post with an apology.

According to the midfielder, he would like to bypass the Russian side, but he ran up to him and said hello.

“After the match, all the players shake hands with each other, and I did it purely mechanically.

I understand how important this is for you at the moment, but those insults and hatred for a second of guilt compared to what we have been doing for Ukraine and Ukrainians since the beginning of the war, cause me unpleasant feelings and doubts about your sincerity when you write words of support for me, ”said the footballer.

He also stated that if he had competed in an individual sport, he would never have come out to play against an opponent from Russia, and supported the removal of domestic athletes from international competitions.

It is not known how Golovin reacted to the statement of the Ukrainian.

According to his agent Alexander Klyuev, they did not communicate on this topic.

“As for this whole situation, one must turn to Malinovsky himself, but not to Golovin.

Sasha and I discussed the match with Marseille, but we didn’t talk about this episode.

Golovin is not up to it, because he is focused on the game against Auxerre on February 1, ”Sport24 quotes Klyuev as saying.

Friendship with Miranchuk and communication with Kovalenko

Previously, Malinovsky defended the colors of the Italian Atalanta side-by-side with another leader of the Russian national team, Alexei Miranchuk.

They spent two seasons together, after which the latter went on loan to Torino.

The Ukrainian moved to Marseille in January.

Ruslan, who had played a lot in Europe before and knew the language, helped his partner to adapt to a new place.

They quickly became friends.

Moreover, in 2021, another Ukrainian, Viktor Kovalenko, joined the team from Bergamo.

Russian-speaking young people calmly communicated with each other and even celebrated holidays together.

For example, in May 2021, Malinovsky posted a photo with his comrades from his 28th birthday and accompanied it with the caption: “A pleasant evening in great company.”

The beginning of the SVO did not affect the warm relations between Ruslan and Alexei.

So, Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini assured in March that the wards continue to be friends. 

The fans made a special banner in honor of Miranchuk and Malinovsky.

On it, football players under the flags of their countries hold hands.

First, the canvas was brought to the base, and then hung out at the home meeting of the 1/8 finals of the Europa League with Bayer.

“Ruslan wanted to hug Alexander and did it with all his heart”

Meanwhile, RT experts are confident that the Ukrainian midfielder under pressure had no choice but to apologize publicly.

Former football player of the Russian national team Diniyar Bilyaletdinov lamented that the manifestation of banal respect between athletes from the two countries often ends in condemnation.

As an example, he recalled joint photos of athletes Yaroslav Maguchy and Maria Lasitskene at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, for which the first in their homeland was severely criticized.

“Malinovsky simply had nowhere to go.

He needed something to smooth things over.

But the first reaction is the most sincere.

That is, Ruslan really wanted to hug Alexander and did it from the heart.

But then he needed to explain himself, after all, a person still has to return to the national team.

One can only sympathize with the fact that athletes from Ukraine and Russia are being imposed more political relations than sports ones, ”Bilyaletdinov emphasized.

Coach Igor Kolyvanov, who spent most of his playing career in Italy and crossed paths with a large number of Ukrainians there, is sure that there is no negativity in life between football players from the two countries.

“We hugged.

Handsome.

I think they are free people and have the right to do what they want.

After all, the same Malinovsky played with Miranchuk in Atalanta.

Surely, they were friends, after all, they spoke the same language.

There can be no talk of hostility.

I myself played in Serie A for many years. Believe me, we have always been close friends and communicated with Ukrainians.

Then no one could even admit the thought of a confrontation.

I am sure that there will still be times when the players will again be able to calmly hug without fear of getting a wave of negativity, ”the specialist expressed hope.

And the former coach of the Russian national team Anatoly Byshovets called the hugs of the players a common manifestation of respect for each other and was surprised that in Ukraine it caused such a negative reaction.

“Congratulating the opponent and thanking him for a good game is absolutely normal.

This is included in the athlete's code of honor.

The same is true for other types.

Take even boxing or MMA.

There are bloodied fighters, who a minute ago inflicted injuries on each other, and then they shake hands with each other.

Tennis players also meet at the net, although one of them suffered a painful defeat.

It is difficult to imagine any other behavior.

This is a manifestation of respect for sports principles, ”summed up the specialist.