Bykov called Russophobia that a fan was forced to take off his T-shirt with the inscription “Russia” at the World Cup
Former head coach of the Russian national team Vyacheslav Bykov assessed the scandal at the 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, when the organizers forced a fan to take off his jersey with the inscription “Russia”. His words are quoted by VseProSport.
The coach called the incident Russophobia. “I have no words. There is pressure on the organizers, of course, and on everyone. And everyone wants to make a hero out of themselves in this sense, to show themselves what they are, I don’t even know what to call these people, Russophobes, ”he said.
On May 18, in Tampere, during the match between the national teams of Hungary and Sweden (1:7), one of the spectators appeared on the podium in a T-shirt with the inscription “Russia”. The arena security service asked the fan to remove his T-shirt. It is noted that he complied with the requirement and continued to watch the match.
The 2023 World Championship takes place in Tampere, Finland and Riga, Latvia, from May 12 to 28. The national teams of Russia and Belarus are missing the tournament due to the sanctions of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). By decision of the organizers of the championship, the demonstration of national flags and any symbols of the two suspended states is prohibited.
Source: Lenta
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