EuroLeague launches disciplinary proceedings against Zalgiris over insults against Serbia and Red Star players

Foto: twitter/donatas urbonas

The EuroLeague has initiated disciplinary proceedings against Lithuania's Zalgiris over the events that took place during a game this club played at home against Red Star Belgrade (Crvena Zvezda) in the 21st matchday of this European competition.

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Namely, Red Star basketball players did not want to join in holding up the flag of Ukraine, with the words "stop war" written on it, which spurred local fans to start with provocations, such as waving the NATO flag, chanting insults, and at one point, attacking the players of the Serbian team.

There was a scuffle between Zalgiris and Crvena Zvezda fans before the overtime at the Zalgirio arena.To avoid further potential conflicts, police advised Zvezda fans to leave the stands. They agreed and were safely escorted to the airport, per the official statement. pic.twitter.com/euBmuTvd7D— Donatas Urbonas (@Urbodo) April 4, 2022

In the aftermath, the EuroLeague initiated disciplinary proceedings into the politically and ethnically motivated provocations during the game.

Shortly after the game the Serbian club issued an official statement in which they called on the EuroLeague to react.

"To our great regret, our request not to hold up a banner that is not neutral was not accepted (whether or not under someone's pressure), and everything after that was a political performance rather than sport, and seriously violated the basic principles of the EuroLeague and of basketball! That is why we now have every moral and other right to expect the EuroLeague to react urgently, initiate disciplinary proceedings and adequately sanction this violation of the basic principles and bylaws of the EuroLeague, and to punish those responsible for a politicized and obviously prepared in advance incidents and harassment of our team, our fans and the insults at the expense of our country and our club that took place in Kaunas," the Red Star statement said, among other things.

(Telegraf.rs)