The Voronezh club suddenly forbade fans to enter the match with Spartak with the symbols of the “red and white”, but met with an unexpected rebuff. In Moscow, the decision of the rivals was called discrimination, and the provincial incident was already threatening to turn into another scandal…

Fortunately, in Voronezh they caught on in time and corrected the dubious measure. But I still had to apologize!

Fakel wanted to ban Spartak?

Voronezh returned to the main football league in Russia after 21 years and has already managed to become one of the most talked about teams. At first there was a lot of noise about the readiness of the local stadium, then the bright game of Fakel, which was not afraid of any of the rivals, attracted attention. I also admired the love of Voronezh fans for their club. Fans filled the stadium to capacity and traveled en masse, although the airport in the city remains closed.

The match with Spartak was supposed to be a bright celebration of football, but the day before the start everything turned into a loud scandal. The club issued a statement on social networks, where it announced a ban on the use of the red-and-white symbols at matches in Voronezh. A humiliating measure for the fans of the team!

– We remind you that the entrance to the stands of the stadium with the symbols of the rival club “Fakel” is prohibited according to the regulations! — stated in the message of the press service, published in the telegram channel.

Photo: © FC Fakel

Tough reaction of Spartak and RPL

It is not very clear, but what regulations the Voronezh residents referred to. Quite predictably, this caused a storm of indignation in the camp of the fans and the management of Spartak. In fairness, it should be noted that Muscovites had previously refused the guest ticket quota for the match against Fakel. This is what provoked such a reaction of the Voronezh club. The answer of “Spartacus” was lightning fast. The club said that they consider the actions of the “Torch” unlawful and expect a reaction from the league.

– We consider the demand of Fakel, put forward in such a categorical form, unlawful. We will send a corresponding letter to the League and the Voronezh club. Under the federal Spectator Conduct Rules, fans may bring personal items into the stadium that are not prohibited by these rules. Based on the MIR RPL Regulations, paraphernalia (in particular, scarves) does not apply to support means, and therefore does not require approval. There are illegal discriminatory demands,” Dmitry Zelenov, head of the Spartak press service, told reporters.

All this was superimposed on another scandalous situation. The Voronezh club canceled online sales of tickets for the match with Spartak, as a result of which kilometer-long queues formed in front of the box office and real chaos began. So the leadership of Fakel had to put out several fires at once. As a result, the president of the RPL Alexander Alaev intervened in the matter, who made a tough and categorical statement.

– Fakel’s decision not to allow entry to the stadium with the symbols of the rival club is contrary to the current rules and regulations. The indignation of the fans in this situation is understandable. The League keeps the situation under control, we promptly contacted the club’s management, and Fakel’s general director Roman Askhabadze assured that there would be no restrictions regarding the use of the away team’s symbols at the match, Alaev noted.

Photo: © Alexey Eremin / Match TV

Is the apology of the Voronezh residents enough?

Then it became clear that the Voronezh residents would have to change something and as soon as possible. If the head of the RPL says that this will not work, then this is a serious matter. In fact, less than half an hour passed, as Fakel made an official statement on the situation. And, as you might guess, the club referred to the incorrect wording. Change of shoes in the air took place successfully.

– We made an incorrect wording – we had in mind the means of active support, and not paraphernalia. Therefore, there can be no talk that fans with the symbols of Spartak will not be allowed into the stadium in Voronezh. We apologize to the Spartak football club for the incorrect wording – all football fans are welcome in our city, – the Voronezh club said.

We must pay tribute to Spartak, who accepted the apology and did not provoke the further development of the conflict. One way or another, the meeting, which already aroused increased interest, will now be the main one in the upcoming round.