Lokomotiv refuses to transfer Tarasov to Terek - Kadyrov
MOSCOW. Feb 22 (Interfax) - The Moscow-based Lokomotiv football club has refused to consider transfer of its midfielder Dmitry Tarasov to Grozno's Terek, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov told the Russian News Service.
A day earlier Kadyrov said that Terek was prepared to buy Tarasov from Lokomotiv.
"I wanted to buy him with all the fines they announced. Today we received a reply that they won't talk about the transfer. Refusal. There is nothing we can do. I wanted to support him," Kadyrov said.
The Chechen leader stressed that he had his decision agreed on by the Terek managers. "I did not just make the bid, I had it agreed on by the Terek managers, the club's president Daudov, and the head coach. With Mauricio and other footballers now gone, we need him [Tarasov]. All the more so because he is the citizen of Russia. My move is not a PR stunt, I really wanted to buy him," Kadyrov said.
"I think that he [Tarasov] did not violate anything. This man loves his president, loves his country. He showed that athletes support him [Putin], footballers support him, artists, the people support our president," the Chechen leader said.
The Chechen leader made the announcement of his readiness to buy Tarasov from Lokomotiv after the footballer demonstrated a vest with a picture of Russian President Vladimir Putin after a match with the Turkish club Fenerbahce in Istanbul on February 16. UEFA is seeing the incident as a violation for which the footballer and his club could be penalized.
UEFA said in a statement that players must not demonstrate underwear with political, religious and personal slogans, statements and pictures. A decision on this episode is due on March 17.
Lokomotiv stated straight away that what Tarasov did was unacceptable and inappropriate and the footballer will be fined. Media outlets said that Lokomotiv fined Tarasov 300,000 euro, but the head of the Russian Footballers' Trade Union, Alexander Zotov, has denied it.
