Footballer who condemned violence in 2020 and the attack on Ukraine was forced to repent for it
Mikałaj Zołataŭ, a footballer for Moldovan club "Zimbru", who was previously banned from playing in the Belarusian championship by Minister of Sports and Tourism Siarhiej Kavalchuk for condemning the violence of security forces in 2020 and condemning the war in Ukraine, gave an interview to "Pressball" newspaper, in which he repents for his previous "mistakes".
Mikałaj Zołataŭ. Photo: "Zimbru"
In the interview, Zołataŭ expresses his desire to return to the Belarusian national team, and primarily, it seems, to the Belarusian championship. For this, he condemns his former self:
«Many wrong and unnecessary things were said by me on emotions in past years, for which I sincerely repent.»
At the same time, he also criticizes the restrictions imposed on Belarusian football after Russia, with the support of the Lukashenka regime, launched a full-scale war against Ukraine in February 2022:
«It is unfair when someone starts talking about the complete exclusion of our team from international tournaments. There are no hostilities on the territory of Belarus, as, for example, in Israel, and such an attitude is biased. But sooner or later, the bans will be lifted, and the Belarusian national team will again have the right to play home matches in its stadium.»
The 31-year-old defender Mikałaj Zołataŭ once played for the Belarusian national team, having made 14 appearances for it between 2019 and 2021.
From 2020 to 2024, he played abroad (Russia, Ukraine, France, Kazakhstan). But in July 2024, he unexpectedly joined the ranks of the Vitebsk private club "Maxline". The contract with the Vitebsk club, then in the second division, was signed until the end of 2024, but the footballer only managed to play four matches for it.
From August 5, 2024, the player stopped not only going onto the field but even making it into the squad for matches, although he played all four of the aforementioned games from whistle to whistle. It was then reported by "Tribuna" that Zołataŭ was not playing at Kavalchuk's demand. In late July, the Vitebsk club was informed that it could not use a footballer who had "previously expressed dissatisfaction with the current Belarusian authorities."
Also, according to sources familiar with the situation, the official did not like that Zołataŭ had previously condemned the war in Ukraine.
Even then, it was suggested that Zołataŭ would be required to offer "sincere repentance" in exchange for the opportunity to continue playing football in Belarus. But he did not agree to it then, and this year he went to play for Moldovan "Zimbru". What forced him to decide to repent precisely now — one can only guess.
Comments