I must admit that I was genuinely surprised by the number of all sorts of reactions/comments of condemning content in response to the circumstances in which Shakhtar scored the second goal against Kryvbas (5:2) in yesterday's match between these teams in round 19 of the Ukrainian league.
Have they not got used to it, not even years but decades later? After all, nothing new or even unusual has happened!
But first, as they say, for pro forma, I will clarify what we are talking about.
In the 22nd minute of the mentioned match, Kryvbas defender Ivan Dibango fouled Shakhtar midfielder Oleksandr Zubkov in his own half of the pitch, as a result of which the latter ended up on the turf. Based on the behaviour of the injured Donetian, he was clearly "hurt" in this situation, and Dibango approached him and extended his hand - with an obvious desire to apologise for the unintentional rudeness and a desire to help the opponent get back on his feet. A benchmark gesture of fair play, a basic principle of modern football from FIFA and UEFA's point of view, to which all clubs, if not subject to, should endeavour to adhere.
Nikolai Balakin, the chief referee of the match, was also distracted by this situation, and he also approached the injured player (injured, of course, if we exclude the simulation of "suffering", which fundamentally contradicts the above-mentioned basic principle of FIFA and UEFA).
And at that moment, the rest of Shakhtar players played the ball without a whistle and scored a goal. That's the end of the story.
Everything in this story is according to the rules of football. The chief referee, after fixing the infringement of the rules, did not signal that the penalty kick should be taken on the whistle, which means that Shakhtar players had every right to do what they did (you can come up with the name/definition of this action yourself, and I will save this site from the definition formed by me). They acted, I repeat, according to the rules of football. Except that now we are not talking about the rules of football, but about the very principle of fair-play, which all teams should strive to comply with.
And I really sincerely do not understand where there is room for emotion among those who saw such behaviour of Shakhtar's representatives? Did you really see something new, uncharacteristic? Does it make sense to refer to history and facts and remind you of a series of similar situations that have regularly taken place over the last many years?
Does it make sense to remind, for example, the glorious Pitmen Oleksandr Kucher, who collapsed in the "wall" in the match against Dynamo, as if he was hit by Oleksandr Usik. Alright, let me remind you. Please:
As a result of this brave act of the glorious Pitmen, Dynamo defender Ognjen Vukojevic was sent off. By the way, here is how the latter described the events of that episode: "Kucher hit me first, with an elbow in the stomach, when I was in the 'wall'. After that, I touched him a little behind his back with my hand, saying: "Get off me, what are you doing with your elbow?". He turned round and when he saw that it was me, he grabbed his head and fell down as if he had been shot by a sniper."
Does it really make sense to leaf through pages like this? Does it really make sense to recall episodes related, for example, to the glorious "miner" Brandao? Does it really make sense to recall what another glorious "miner" Taison did to Andriy Yarmolenko and did not even come up to him with an apology? Please:
I'm sorry, but I don't want to leaf through these glorious pages anymore. I just repeat that I am sincerely surprised that with the huge number of such pages, there were those who were surprised at the way Shakhtar scored their second goal against Kryvbas. Moreover, compared to some pages of history, this is child's play.
There is absolutely nothing to marvel at. The same as the fact that Shakhtar players in their comments on this situation do not say a word about fair play and respect for the opponent, but talk exclusively about the fact that the goal was scored according to the rules of football (which, again, is not disputed, but it is not about that at all).
For example, the author of this goal, Kryskiv, seriously asks the following question: "Why did they help Zubkov? Can't he get up off the pitch himself?".
You know, it's like when you pushed a person in a hurry, he fell down or dropped something. You stopped, came back, apologised, helped him up or picked up what he dropped because of you. Although, the person would have handled it themselves, of course. Kryskiv, having read the description of such a situation, will probably ask: "Why help that person? Isn't he going to be able to get up or pick up what he dropped?". And what would you answer him to such a question? Style! Lifestyle, principles of life: someone will come back and apologise, and someone else will go on running as if nothing had happened. Or maybe they'll say something nasty about that person.
Or, for example, being at the wheel, you didn't notice a puddle in time and splashed a pedestrian who was walking next to you on the pavement. You stopped, came back, apologised, even tried to help the person to shake it off, even though it was useless - your clothes are soiled because of you. Apologised again. But Krys'kiv, having read the description of such a situation, will probably ask: "Why? Can't he shake himself off and then wash his clothes?".
This Krys'kiv, as well as his team-mates, with their comments on this episode of the Shakhtar vs Kryvbas match make it clear that there is no such concept/principle as fair-play, and it is all about the rules of football, and only in them. But we realise that all players without exception are aware of the existence of fair-play. And then how can we call such characteristic comments of the Pitmen without any hint of the existence of fair-play. Maybe it is what is known in the common parlance as "earwigging", "eyewash", etc. (take your pick). (take your pick)?
And, notice that such comments of completely different people look coherent and even, one could say, systematic. As if in one voice, as if in unison. Well, because of the team! Because of the style! Not a word about fair-play!
And for those who over the past many years have not got used to this style, I have a simple advice, the effectiveness of which has been repeatedly tested. Don't watch matches involving a team whose corporate style gives you negativity. Believe me, there is always an alternative.
For example, at the same time when Shakhtar and Kryvbas were playing, Manchester City and Manchester United were playing in the APL. If the situation with Shakhtar's goal described above brought you negativity, then by opting for the Manchester City vs Manchester United match, you would have received positive emotions from football instead of negative ones from "corporate style". And your Sunday evening wouldn't have been ruined. At any rate, you certainly wouldn't feel like you'd stepped into something.
And even if you don't have a match like Manchester City vs Manchester United at hand, believe me, for some corporate styles even a mediocre German documentary would be a worthy alternative.
Alexander POPOV
