Zorya CEO rips city of Manchester as 'dirty' in homophobic rant after Europa loss
Zorya Luhansk executive Sergei Rafailov went off on a scathing tirade against the city of Manchester following his team's Europa League loss last week, calling the city "dirty" and full of drunks while also denouncing homosexuality.
“It was very dirty. Near the hotel, which was, incidentally, in the city centre, there were homeless people sleeping on the pavement at night," Rafailov told the team website, via Goal.com.
The CEO of the Ukrainian side didn't stop there, saying he saw masses of drunks and homosexual behavior that was unsettling, in his opinion.
“I went out for a walk in the evening and went a little further from the centre. It was even worse there. Masses of drunk people. It was bizarre for me to see men walking down the street and kissing. I did not like it."
Ukraine has been working toward integrating into the European Union, but Rafailov's experiences in Manchester are making him reconsider. “I would suggest we think about European integration 20 times [before we accept it], he said. I would not like my grandchildren to go outside and see men kissing and homeless people sleeping in the centre of the city."
Rafailov's comments likely won't sit well with those at FIFA whose aim is to progress toward tolerance and acceptance. Prejudice and racism are on-going issues in FIFA -- and across the globe -- but soccer's governing body has made a point of trying to rid the sport of hate-speech.
Earlier this week, FIFA sanctioned several federations for "discriminatory and unsporting conduct of fans." Most of FIFA's disciplinary action stems from on-field or in-stadium action, however, and Rafailov's statements were made after a match. It remains to be seen if FIFA's jurisdiction for punishing discriminatory language extends that far, or if they even care to see if it does.
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