Shortly after the start of the bombardment carried out by the army of Russia, some Internet users wanted to obtain the point of view on the situation of Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin, two skaters who have publicly expressed their support for President Vladimir Putin in the past .
• Read also: [EN DIRECT] War in Ukraine: follow all the developments of the Russian invasion
• Read also: Russia attacks Ukraine on several fronts, dozens dead according to Kiev
Moreover, Malkin has had the opportunity to meet the leader in recent years: they have been seen together a few times, Putin having already honored the star of the Pittsburgh Penguins for his exploits on the ice.
As for Ovechkin, he is recognized as close to the president. In 2014, when the battles for the annexation of Crimea by Russia were raging, he had provoked many reactions when he had posted on his Instagram account a photo showing him with a sweater on which it was written “No War (“No War”).
The principal concerned held in his hand a poster with the inscription “Save Children from Fascism” (“Save the children from fascism”), which in the eyes of many represented implicit support for the pro-Russian rebels fighting on Ukrainian soil.
The number 8 of the Washington Capitals had defended himself by explaining that it was a message of peace. However, these arguments did not convince some, especially since three years later, he had ardently campaigned for the re-election of Putin.
“Personal accomplishments and medals are all good, but in hockey, like everything else, you have to bet on a team to win. Only a team can change the course of a game, achieve the impossible. Lately in the Western press I took note of a comparison with Team Putin and I really liked it. Personally, I am ready to be part of this training”, he wrote, as reported by the daily The Washington Post.
“I have never hidden my relationship with our president, I have always openly supported him. I’m sure there are many of us who are behind him. Let’s come together for a strong and united Russia. Today, I am announcing the creation of a social movement called Team Poutine.”
Other supports
Other NHL athletes have also shown their support for Putin in the past decade, including former Montreal Canadiens defenseman Andrei Markov and goaltender Semyon Varlamov.
“He is the most powerful man in the world,” Markov wrote on Instagram several years ago.
For his part, as reported by the site sports.ru, Varlamov had displayed himself with a t-shirt on which he was inscribed “Crimea is ours” before removing his Instagram post because of the unfavorable reactions resulting from it. .
Artemi Panarin is not a good friend of Vladimir Putin
Among the Russian athletes who have decried their country’s president, Vladimir Putin, in recent years is New York Rangers forward Artemi Panarin, who got into trouble following the broadcast of his comments.
Around this time last year, the hockey player was plunged into turmoil due to allegations of violence against an 18-year-old woman in 2011. Former Panarin coach with Vityaz Chekhov, in the League continental hockey, Andreï Nazarov had mentioned to the site sports.ru that Panarin had attacked his victim in a bar in Riga using “several powerful punches”.
This one would have been arrested, adding however that “negotiations took place with the police authorities”. The Rangers and their player had denied the claims of Nazarov, who said he was motivated by his ex-protege’s criticism of Putin to spread the whole thing in the public square.
See his mistakes
The words of the Rangers color holder had actually caused a stir in July 2019, during an interview presented on Vsemu Golivin’s YouTube channel.
“I think he no longer understands what is good and what is bad,” he said. Psychologically, it is not easy for him to judge the situation soberly. There are many people who influence his decisions. On the other hand, if everyone who has been around you for 20 years tells you that you are a good guy and that you do a great job, you will never see your mistakes.
“The mistake of our society is to treat him like a superhuman. He is a normal person, like us, and he is at our service, Panarin also said of Putin. To be president you have to be smart and smart, but our biggest blunder is thinking there’s no one better than him. This is nonsense. How many people live here? Without a doubt, there is someone better [pouvant prendre sa place].”
– On the ice, Artemi Panarin is doing quite well this season. Heading into Thursday’s game against fellow Putin fan Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals, he had 14 goals and 41 assists for 55 points in 45 outings.
F1: Vettel and Verstappen in favor of canceling the Russian Grand Prix
Formula 1 world champions Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel do not see themselves competing in the Russian Grand Prix in September, they reacted in Barcelona on Thursday after Russia invaded Ukraine.
“I woke up shocked. It’s horrible to see what’s going on. For my part, my opinion is that I should not go, I will not go ”, reacted the German Sebastian Vettel during a press conference in Catalonia, where F1 pre-season tests are taking place.
“I think it would be wrong to race in the country,” he continued as the GP is scheduled for September 25 in Sochi.
“I feel sorry for the innocent people who lose their lives, who are killed for stupid reasons and because of very strange and crazy leaders,” he said.
“We are going to talk about it, but my decision has already been made,” concluded the Aston Martin driver.
“When a country is at war, it’s not right to run there, that’s for sure. But what matters is not what I think, it’s the whole paddock that will decide, ”said reigning champion Dutchman Max Verstappen (Red Bull).
F1 “is following the developments very closely” of the situation, reacted the championship in a press release, giving “no other comment on the race scheduled for September”.
Vladimir Putin’s Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, with air strikes and the entry of ground forces, including in the direction of the capital Kiev, killing dozens of people in the early hours, according to the Ukrainian authorities.
The Champions League moved?
UEFA, which strongly condemned the Russian military invasion on Thursday, decided to convene its executive committee urgently on Friday (10 a.m.).
Its members could be led to upset the calendar for the coming months, or even to take sanctions against Moscow, in unison with the international community which condemned the start of the conflict.
Top of the pile is the fate of the Champions League final, scheduled for May 28 in St Petersburg, whose stadium is named after gas giant Gazprom, one of UEFA’s main sponsors since 2012.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday there was “no chance” Russia could host international football competitions in the coming weeks.
“No decision has been taken” by UEFA at this stage, but the European confederation “is working on different options” to relocate the meeting, a source familiar with the matter told AFP.
Tennis: Rublev and Svitolina plead for “peace” over Ukraine
Russian Andrey Rublev pleaded Thursday for “peace” after Russia invaded Ukraine, saying his victory at the Dubai tournament was “not important” given the “terrible” context.
“You realize how important it is to have peace in the world, to respect each other no matter what, to be united. It’s about taking care of our Earth and each other. This is the most important thing, “said the world No.7 after his victory over the American Mackenzie McDonald (2-6, 6-3, 6-1), in the quarter-finals in Dubai.
Rublev also published on his Instagram account a drawing of two characters, in the colors of the respective flags of Ukraine and Russia, hugging each other.
The Russian, winner of the ninth trophy of his career last Sunday in Marseille, explained to the press in Dubai how difficult it was to play given the context on the international scene.
“In these moments, you realize that (your) match is not important (…) What is happening is much more terrible,” said the 24-year-old player.
In Dubai, Rublev will face the Pole Hubert Hurkacz, winner of the Italian Jannik Sinner (6-3, 6-3), for a place in the final.
“Glory to Ukraine,” wrote tennis player Elena Svitolina, former world number 3, on Instagram.
A rare Russian voice to speak, international soccer player Fedor Smolov wrote “No to war,” followed by a Ukraine flag and a broken heart, in a short message on Instagram.