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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Fans take to the pitch to stamp out racism in post-Soviet football | Fans take to the pitch to stamp out racism in post-Soviet football |
| (3 days later) | |
| Football is known as the beautiful game, but in Russia and Ukraine its public face has repeatedly been disfigured by ugly racism. | Football is known as the beautiful game, but in Russia and Ukraine its public face has repeatedly been disfigured by ugly racism. |
| Related: Racism in Russia laid bare: more than 100 incidents in just two seasons | Alec Luhn | Related: Racism in Russia laid bare: more than 100 incidents in just two seasons | Alec Luhn |
| Alexei Smertin, the former captain of Russia’s national team, has claimed that “racism does not exist” but players such as Manchester City’s Yaya Touré and Zenit’s Hulk have been the victims of monkey chants at matches. | Alexei Smertin, the former captain of Russia’s national team, has claimed that “racism does not exist” but players such as Manchester City’s Yaya Touré and Zenit’s Hulk have been the victims of monkey chants at matches. |
| Two of the capital’s clubs, Lokomotiv and CSKA Moscow have faced fines or orders to play behind closed doors and just this week Dynamo Kiev are facing charges from Uefa after footage of an apparent racist attack on four black fans emerged during their Champions League fixture with Chelsea. | Two of the capital’s clubs, Lokomotiv and CSKA Moscow have faced fines or orders to play behind closed doors and just this week Dynamo Kiev are facing charges from Uefa after footage of an apparent racist attack on four black fans emerged during their Champions League fixture with Chelsea. |
| But a growing number of football fans-turned-activists are standing up to the violence of their far-right peers. | But a growing number of football fans-turned-activists are standing up to the violence of their far-right peers. |
| Earlier this month CSKA Moscow’s youth facilities in Peschanya Street – formerly the home of legendary Soviet keeper Lev Yashin – played host to a tournament for “antifa” (anti-fascist) football clubs from across Russia and Belarus. | Earlier this month CSKA Moscow’s youth facilities in Peschanya Street – formerly the home of legendary Soviet keeper Lev Yashin – played host to a tournament for “antifa” (anti-fascist) football clubs from across Russia and Belarus. |
| The tournament’s organiser – who due to the extreme violence and atmosphere of danger surrounding football in Russia will only be identified as “Vladimir” – explains that 23 teams, including three female sides, entered the tournament. | |
| The atmosphere is jovial: fans chant songs from the small stand and the attendance is high, despite temperatures dipping below zero degrees. | |
| Most of the clubs are from Moscow, but others have joined from St Petersburg, Nizhnyi Novgorod, Cherepovets and the Belarusian capital, Minsk. | |
| But the absence of colours, flags or badges from the big Ukrainian and Russian teams is obvious. “None of the big Moscow clubs have sent fan groups to participate at the tournament,” says Vladimir. | |
| “All the big clubs – not only in Russia, but in most of eastern Europe – are completely controlled by right wing ultras,” he adds, referring to the die-hard supporters blamed for violence and racist chanting on the terraces. | |
| Grassroots activism | Grassroots activism |
| The tournament is completely independent and there has been no support from Fifa or Fare – a network set up to tackle discrimination across the board in football. “This is a good thing,” says Vladimir “otherwise we would be branded as having foreign support.” | The tournament is completely independent and there has been no support from Fifa or Fare – a network set up to tackle discrimination across the board in football. “This is a good thing,” says Vladimir “otherwise we would be branded as having foreign support.” |
| In Russia, thanks to a law adopted in 2012, any non-governmental body who engages in political activity and receives funds from abroad must register as a “foreign agent”. Critics have argued the law aims to marginalise or demonise independent advocacy groups. | |
| The importance of such anti-fascist endeavours in Russian football is evident on the walls of the Peschanaya stadium. | The importance of such anti-fascist endeavours in Russian football is evident on the walls of the Peschanaya stadium. |
| A number of stickers, plastered on the old stands display fascist and white pride symbols, but as the tournament progresses many are replaced by anti-fascist ones. | |
| The teams have come together from diverse political backgrounds. Many are outspoken not just against racism, but also communism, Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko’s autocratic government and the growing influence of the Orthodox church over the Russian state. | The teams have come together from diverse political backgrounds. Many are outspoken not just against racism, but also communism, Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko’s autocratic government and the growing influence of the Orthodox church over the Russian state. |
| It demonstrates that there is a football fan culture beyond the rightwing, xenophobic views that so often find their way into the news. But perhaps most importantly, it includes fans that feel alienated by the far right tendencies in the football stadiums they frequent. | |
| It’s a boost for groups like CSKA Fans Against Racism – active for over a year – who were frustrated “to receive stadium bans, because of the actions of a few hundred ultras,” the leader of the group said. | It’s a boost for groups like CSKA Fans Against Racism – active for over a year – who were frustrated “to receive stadium bans, because of the actions of a few hundred ultras,” the leader of the group said. |
| Related: Dynamo Kyiv charged with racist behaviour of fans during Chelsea draw | Related: Dynamo Kyiv charged with racist behaviour of fans during Chelsea draw |
| Many at the tournament reflect this sentiment. Playing against each other in a friendly match helps them to establish networks that can be used to help combat racism. | |
| Or, in the words of Vladimir, to “clean the terraces of intolerance”. | |
| A version of this article first appeared on futbolgrad.com | A version of this article first appeared on futbolgrad.com |