– It is uncomfortable. Unfortunately, you are no longer surprised by anything, says Russian professor Atle Grønn to news. He talks about how the Russian big club CSKA used the start of the season recently to mark their support for the invasion of Ukraine and to pay tribute to fallen soldiers. Among them was Swedish hockey star Fredrik Claesson, a former teammate of Mats Zuccarello from his time with the New York Rangers. In specially made suits with a clear “Z” on the upper arm, the hockey stars warmed up for battle. “Z” is the symbol that marks support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. CSKA shared photos of a number of players during the warm-up. This picture of Swedish Claesson is a screenshot of a twitter profile. Photo: CSKA The fact that the Swede took part in this celebration has led to a number of strong Swedish reactions in social media. “Can go to hell” “Sold my soul to the devil” “Hope the Putin hugger is banned from all Swedish hockey for life” These are some of the sharp reactions on X (formerly Twitter) after the marking became known. – “Freddy” likes to play there. It is probably the biggest club in Europe, says agent Aljosa Pilko to Expressen after the controversial Z marking. The Swedish newspaper writes that Claesson’s agent chose not to distance himself from the meaning of the symbol during their interview. Rather, he points out that CSKA is the defense club in Russia. Tribute to the fallen There was no doubt about what the commemoration meant. The club, with traditionally strong ties to the defence, also chose to issue a clear message on the messaging service Telegram. There the message was clear. – Today was a special warm-up. It was in honor of the fallen warriors in the military organization Espanola, who selflessly defended the motherland in the toughest parts of the front without regard to their own health and danger to their own lives, the club writes, among other things, in the message. – We all stand up and applaud for our warriors in Espanola. They are true patriots and heroes of Russia, the message continues. The paramilitary group Espanola is said to have links to supporter circles in Russia. Among other things, the commander of the military organization also took a symbolic drop of the puck before the game. Professor Atle Grønn Photo: Fredrik Hagen / NTB Atle Grønn points out that it is not so easy for the individual player to do something in such a situation. – Nevertheless, responsibility cannot be brought forward. It is terrible to look at this rectification, says Grønn. Russian sports have themselves pointed out that “sport is not politics” and used that as an argument for Russian athletes having to be able to participate internationally. But Grønn points out that there are no places where sport is as much politics as in Russia. Grønn, who is also a chess expert, has seen the same thing in chess. – The propaganda in Russia is so crude and the rhetoric in the propaganda is so crude, vulgar and violent that everything pales in comparison. That is why symbolic markings cause discomfort. One imagines the mass rallies for Hitler, says Grønn and continues: – The discomfort is there. But compared to the violence and words that are used elsewhere in society, this is on a slightly different level, even if it is unpleasant, says Grønn. – Active support Senior researcher Håvard Bækken, at the Department of Defense Studies, points out that “Z” is used both in sports and in Russian schools. – The Z is not unusual at all in sports and school. It was used so much spontaneously here and there that the authorities in Moscow and St. Petersburg tried to curb its use, says Bækken. – This could probably happen in any club, but CSKA has a link to the military and always has, says Bækken. It also caused reactions when CSKA celebrated itself this spring, with a large-scale event with prominent guests from the defence, sports and politics. Bækken points out that the Russian Ministry of Defense has itself been active in establishing and fronting “Z” as a symbol of support for the war in Ukraine. – You show more active support than the majority when you participate in support on your own initiative, says Bækken. Both Claesson and other Swedish players who have chosen to play in the Russian league KHL have been banned from the Swedish national team. – The internationalization of sport makes this extra sensitive. So that the Swede now, for example, has a problem when he is “trapped” in his Russian club, says Bækken.
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