Conflicted so posting this on OT: Russian soccer players' arrests help divert attention

It isn't a Soccer Board Topic but it also isn't a Political Board Topic

"With the glow of President Vladimir Putin’s March re-election win gone, his ratings hit by an unpopular pension reform and the buzz of hosting the soccer World Cup over, the Kremlin has the difficult task of trying to distract and appease what polls show is an increasingly disgruntled populace."

THIS IS A OT TOPIC because:

"CCTV footage circulated by Russian police shows a man being kicked and punched by a group of people and another incident in which two civil servants appear to be assaulted in a cafe."

"The two players were present at both incidents after celebrating a decade of friendship in a Moscow strip club where they said they had been drinking beer."


Picture of Pavel Mamayev


Picture of Alexander Kokorin




Zenit player Alexander Kokorin’s younger brother, Kirill said that the reason for beating Channel One driver was that he had called them “punks.” This is reported by Moskovsky Komsomolets.

“It's hard to control yourself when you're called names,” the relative of the infamous football player told journalists. Kokorin Jr. also added that they should not have attacker the driver for that.

The Music Board and Other Sports Board were also potential candidates because:

According to the testimony of the brothers, before the cafe fight, they had a verbal conflict with the Trade Ministry official, Denis Pak; they said he resembled PSY, the rapper that sang Gangnam Style. The civil servant considered it an insult and attacked them using foul language, according to Kirill Kokorin. A fight ensued.

The channel notes that Kokorin Sr. apologized to Pak at the confrontation, but the victim did not accept his apology. There will be an examination under Art. 282 of the Criminal Code “Incitement of Hatred or Enmity, as Well as Abasement of Human Dignity.” On October 8, Zenit striker Alexander Kokorin, his brother Kirill, and Krasnodar midfielder Pavel Mamaev beat the driver of a Channel One host, attacked a Ministry of Industry and Trade official and assaulted the NAMI head.