By Georgy Kalatozishvili, Tbilisi. Exclusively for Vestnik Kavkaza
The match of the third qualification stage of the UEFA Europa League between Chikhura (Sachkhere) and Neftchi (Baku) concluded 3:2. Countless spectators gathering at the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium applauded the football players for a beautiful game. According to general opinion, the Baku team was of a higher class. It entered the next stage of the tournament.
It seemed like an ordinary game, but the match had a political background that was revealed during the first match in the Azerbaijani capital. Young people from the Komagi Union of Georgian Football Fans raised a provocative poster with a map of Georgia where two Azerbaijani districts were marked as its territory.
The Azerbaijani police and officials of the Georgian embassy in Baku managed to settle the issue. They admitted that the incident almost turned into a more serious problem.
Before the match with Neftchi, there were many talks about the causes of the incident in Tbilisi and possible events at the return match. People were less excited about the sports aspect than the political one. A day before the match, activists of Komagi were specially invited to the Interior Ministry and recommended to refrain from such acts so that relations with the friendly state would not be ruined.
Fans did not raise the infamous poster at the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium. Instead, they raised a different one, containing insults aimed at Russian President Vladimir Putin.
What has Putin or Russia got to do with it anyway? The game was played by teams from Tbilisi and Baku. The Georgian police reacted swiftly, the banner was ripped out of the fans’ hands. The latter could not understand why they were not allowed to demonstrate their feelings, the poster was against the Russian president who “occupied Georgian territories,” as they claimed.
Before the return match, authorities of the Georgian Football Union met with the owners of Chikhura FC. They were warned that UEFA punished clubs for any political demonstrations and politicization at matches. Chikhura was fined 15,000 euros for an incident during the match against Turkey’s Bursa FC. The punishment for the provocation at the first match with Neftchi could be even harsher, not to mention the political outcry. Georgian President Georgi Margvelashvili gave Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev a telephone call and expressed regret over the behaviour of the Georgian fans. Moreover, considering the tragedy on the contact line of Armenian and Azerbaijani forces, when dozens of Azerbaijani soldiers died defending against Armenian saboteurs.
Komagi and its activists drew extra attention from analysts. Ex-President Saakashvili hinted, commenting on the Baku incident, that billionaire Bidzine Ivanishvili was to blame for everything: he is a native of Sachkhere and the real head of Georgia. Ivanishvili spent most of his life in the town and provides finances to Chikhura.
But the problem is that the football team has no direct relation to Komagi. The Union of Fans consists of young people from all Georgian regions, including Tbilisi. Billionaire Ivanishvili does not finance them. Several dozens of fans travel with Georgian teams when they play abroad.
A Komagi member admitted that the poster raised in Baku was not specially made for the match with the Azerbaijani team. The map was also covering the territory of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey. The post is most likely the work of a few very aggressive nationalistic organizations. Despite marginality, they are trying to use every opportunity to draw attention to their existence. There is no better reason to achieve the goal with little resources than raising a poster on the stadium for millions of spectators to see.
Komagi fans and activists deny relations to any political groups. However, their actions seem to have caused serious repercussions if the presidents of both countries discussed the incident.
Targeting the Russian president at the next provocation would not change the point. According to Vestnik Kavkza, the Georgian Interior Ministry plans to talk with leaders of Komagi to prevent any risks of such behaviour in the future or take harsher measures, including initiation of a criminal case over hooliganism and incitement of ethnic hatred.
Who inspired Komagi to stir up Georgian-Azerbaijani relations?By Georgy Kalatozishvili, Tbilisi. Exclusively for Vestnik KavkazaThe match of the third qualification stage of the UEFA Europa League between Chikhura (Sachkhere) and Neftchi (Baku) concluded 3:2. Countless spectators gathering at the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium applauded the football players for a beautiful game. According to general opinion, the Baku team was of a higher class. It entered the next stage of the tournament.It seemed like an ordinary game, but the match had a political background that was revealed during the first match in the Azerbaijani capital. Young people from the Komagi Union of Georgian Football Fans raised a provocative poster with a map of Georgia where two Azerbaijani districts were marked as its territory.The Azerbaijani police and officials of the Georgian embassy in Baku managed to settle the issue. They admitted that the incident almost turned into a more serious problem.Before the match with Neftchi, there were many talks about the causes of the incident in Tbilisi and possible events at the return match. People were less excited about the sports aspect than the political one. A day before the match, activists of Komagi were specially invited to the Interior Ministry and recommended to refrain from such acts so that relations with the friendly state would not be ruined.Fans did not raise the infamous poster at the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium. Instead, they raised a different one, containing insults aimed at Russian President Vladimir Putin.What has Putin or Russia got to do with it anyway? The game was played by teams from Tbilisi and Baku. The Georgian police reacted swiftly, the banner was ripped out of the fans’ hands. The latter could not understand why they were not allowed to demonstrate their feelings, the poster was against the Russian president who “occupied Georgian territories,” as they claimed.Before the return match, authorities of the Georgian Football Union met with the owners of Chikhura FC. They were warned that UEFA punished clubs for any political demonstrations and politicization at matches. Chikhura was fined 15,000 euros for an incident during the match against Turkey’s Bursa FC. The punishment for the provocation at the first match with Neftchi could be even harsher, not to mention the political outcry. Georgian President Georgi Margvelashvili gave Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev a telephone call and expressed regret over the behaviour of the Georgian fans. Moreover, considering the tragedy on the contact line of Armenian and Azerbaijani forces, when dozens of Azerbaijani soldiers died defending against Armenian saboteurs.Komagi and its activists drew extra attention from analysts. Ex-President Saakashvili hinted, commenting on the Baku incident, that billionaire Bidzine Ivanishvili was to blame for everything: he is a native of Sachkhere and the real head of Georgia. Ivanishvili spent most of his life in the town and provides finances to Chikhura.But the problem is that the football team has no direct relation to Komagi. The Union of Fans consists of young people from all Georgian regions, including Tbilisi. Billionaire Ivanishvili does not finance them. Several dozens of fans travel with Georgian teams when they play abroad.A Komagi member admitted that the poster raised in Baku was not specially made for the match with the Azerbaijani team. The map was also covering the territory of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey. The post is most likely the work of a few very aggressive nationalistic organizations. Despite marginality, they are trying to use every opportunity to draw attention to their existence. There is no better reason to achieve the goal with little resources than raising a poster on the stadium for millions of spectators to see.Komagi fans and activists deny relations to any political groups. However, their actions seem to have caused serious repercussions if the presidents of both countries discussed the incident.Targeting the Russian president at the next provocation would not change the point. According to Vestnik Kavkza, the Georgian Interior Ministry plans to talk with leaders of Komagi to prevent any risks of such behaviour in the future or take harsher measures, including initiation of a criminal case over hooliganism and incitement of ethnic hatr
