New Delhi: A seemingly purported tribute to the Russian President Vladimir Putin has landed a Lokomotiv Moscow player in trouble following their Europa League match in Turkey.
Midfielder Dmitri Tarasov removed his team jersey at the end of the game against Fenerbahce in Europe`s second-tier club competition in Istanbul on Tuesday, revealing a picture of Putin and the words: "The most polite president".
However, Tarasov's proclamation didn't go down well with the club, which described the 28-year-old' action as "inexcusable.
After the match, the player reportedly said that "This is my president. I respect him and decided to show that I am ready to support him wherever I am. I wrote on this T-shirt everything that I wanted to say."
In reaction to the player's comments, the club released a statement.
"Unfortunately, the club`s staff were unable to prevent this incident as the footballer had not informed anyone of his plans. What Dmitri did was inappropriate and damages the club`s and his own reputation," the club said.
"Tarasov will be fined in accordance with his contract with Lokomotiv," it added.
In between, the Europe's soccer`s governing body, UEFA has reportedly provisioned to ban Tarasov for a minimum of 10 matches and Lokomotiv also facing sanctions.
Lokomotiv lost the match 2-0 in the first leg of the last-32 tie.
It can be mentioned that UEFA fined Barcelona 30,000 euros after their Champions League final victory over Juventus during which the club`s supporters displayed banners with calls for Catalonia to gain independence from Spain.
