Fenerbahce voted against potentially canceling games played against Russian sides during this season’s EuroLeague, the team announced Tuesday.
If CSKA Moscow, Unics Kazan and Zenit St. Petersburg end up being expelled from the competition, the final standings will be calculated without taking into account the games played against the three Russian sides earlier in the season.
As confirmed by Fenerbahce themselves, The votes were split seven to six.
“Some of the seven EuroLeague A License teams voted with their own interest in mind, while some others of these seven teams voted in a manner that we have not been capable of comprehending the reasoning behind,” a team statement said.
Meanwhile, a little closer to Russia and Baltic giants, Zalgiris will be trading their iconic green and white for something a little more heartfelt, given the circumstances.
The Lithuanian powerhouses will be wearing special blue and yellow jerseys, made up of the Ukraine national flag in support of the country for their EuroLeague game against Barcelona on Friday (11 March).
“With the celebrations of Lithuania’s Independence Day nearing, Zalgiris invites fans to mark the 11th of March in Zalgirio Arena, as the green-and-whites take on FC Barcelona,” the press release said.
Fans attending the game are invited to bring Lithuanian and Ukrainian flags, which will be held up during the Lithuanian national anthem.
“Ukraine’s fight for freedom cannot become a norm, something that is naturally understandable,” said Zalgiris’ Paulius Jankunas.
“We can’t simply get used to it. That’s why we’ve decided to show solidarity with Ukrainians and send a message about their heroic stance against Russia’s aggression.”
