Ukraine accuses soccer team of 'supporting separatism'
Reuters
Published Jun 11, 2018 02:30PM ET
Updated Jun 11, 2018 02:40PM ET
Ukraine accuses soccer team of 'supporting separatism'
By Matthias Williams and Pavel Polityuk
KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine said on Monday it would investigate possible separatist activities in a team of ethnic Hungarian soccer players from Ukraine who won a tournament billed as an alternative to the World Cup in Russia.
The tournament run by the Confederation of Independent Football Associations (CONIFA) hosts teams from regions, ethnic groups or states that do not have representation at the global soccer body FIFA.
CONIFA said that to the best of its knowledge the players, administrators and officials from the Karpatalya team from Ukraine never expressed any separatist sentiment.
Ukraine, which has called for a boycott of the World Cup, is battling a Russian-backed insurgency in its eastern Donbass region but has also squabbled with its other neighbors about the rights of its Hungarian, Romanian and Polish minorities.
"I call on the Security Service of Ukraine to respond appropriately to such a frank act of sporting separatism," Sports Minister Ihor Zhdanov wrote on Facebook (NASDAQ:FB).
Zhdanov said the team organizer should also be investigated for ties with separatist and terrorist groups. Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin called for the players to be questioned, including about their source of funding.
The Ukrainian football federation (FFU) said it might ban the team members from playing in professional or amateur matches under its auspices.
A regional spokeswoman for the Ukrainian state security service told the local television channel 112 that they were investigating and would speak to the players on their return.
Saturday's final in London pitched a team from Northern Cyprus against Karpatalya, made up of ethnic Hungarians from western Ukraine.
"CONIFA is alarmed by calls to interrogate players from the Karpatalya team,” General Secretary Sascha Duerkop said. “CONIFA also considers the FFU’s proposal to de-register Karpatalya players to be draconian. We believe that everyone should be able to represent their identity via football.”
It was not immediately possible to reach the team for comment.
Get The News You Want
Written By: Reuters
Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.