Zozulya: Rayo Vallecano fans were fighting against Ukraine in Donbas
Roman Zozulya, a Ukrainian footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish football club Albacete, has revealed the reasons behind his conflict with Rayo Vallecano fans.
He said some Rayo Vallecano fans were fighting against Ukraine in Donbas, but he is helping the Ukrainian army, which they think is a crime.
"It all started when I signed a contract with Rayo. Rayo's ultras stated that I am a Nazi. Why? Because I help my army. At that time, six Rayo fans were fighting against Ukraine in Donbas. They will never change their minds," Zozulya said at a press conference on December 19.
He said he was a football player and a patriot of his country. "All they say about me, that I'm a Nazi, is not true. I am grateful to all the Ukrainian people for their support, to everyone who has supported me in this conflict. I want to say exactly the same warm words about Spain. Here is my second home, and I am glad that I can get support from residents of this country," he said.
"I am tired of hearing such insults. The club's management and I have decided to go till the end. My family also supported me in this endeavor. When my daughter asked me what Nazism means, I didn't know what to say to her," Zozulya said.
A Spanish Segunda match between Rayo Vallecano and Albacete on December 15 was abandoned at half-time due to insults made towards Albacete forward Roman Zozulya. Rayo Vallecano fans chanted that Zozulya was a Nazi.
Rayo Vallecano President Raul Martin Presa appealed to police with the request to find the fans who were harassing the Ukrainian footballer. Subsequently, Rayo Vallecano's ultras attacked the club's president.
President of the Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF) Andriy Pavelko said that insults made towards the Ukrainian footballer should be the subject of a careful investigation by the Spanish police.
Source: Ukrinform