12 November 2011, 10:00
Lithuanian football fans decide not to go to Chechnya
The players of the Lithuanian national football team have disregarded the recommendations of their Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and flew to the capital of Chechnya in the same charter flight with their upcoming opponents – the second national Russian team. However, not a single fan of the Lithuanian team has come to Grozny.
The Lithuanian MFA had recommended the Lithuanian Football Federation (LFF) to refrain from sending on November 12 their second team to the friendly match in Grozny, having drawn attention to the fact that Chechnya is on the list of the regions, not recommended for visiting. However, the LFF has confirmed the participation of the national team in the match in Grozny.
According to the head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov, the Lithuanian MFA lacks reliable and objective information about Chechnya and about the "positive processes that take place here," writes the "Gazeta.ru".
"We are grateful to the Russian national team for their invitation to play in this city," said Raimondas Zhutautas, the head coach of the Lithuanian football team.
"To be honest, we are afraid of nothing. Let's leave politics aside. Sport is sport. We had been frightened a lot before, wherever we went. We were threatened, when we went to Israel; they didn't allow us to play with Belarusians and Poles; and here as well. But I think sport is a sport. And we're happy, we were very warmly received here," the RIA "Novosti" quotes Mr Zhutautas as saying.
