Karren Brady: Barring Russian sport stars won’t stop Putin’s war… but it could influence countrymen to rise against him

THERE are fans who seem to confuse football and war. In the one you kick a football, in the other you kill people — lots of people.

Reasoning that cancelling matches or barring Russian sports stars will make much difference to Vladimir Putin’s attitude to slaughter in Ukraine belongs in junior school.

But it does have an outside chance of influencing those among the despot’s fellow countrymen who have not been silenced by propaganda or the threat of a good beating up and 15 years in prison.

It is said President Putin rather likes football and sport in general.

He certainly believes that winning medals is important and reflects well on him or he would not have endorsed mass drug-taking among athletes.

At least, any thoughts steroids and other performance drugs have helped Russian football teams may be true, but are made spurious by the simple fact major medals and their football have not coincided.

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From all we hear, the truth of the terror being waged on fellow Slavs, the pitiless explosions of bodies and bricks across Ukraine, is being forcefully denied except in the Kremlin where the Putin-ites, shallow-minded sympathisers and yes-men generals bathe in their brutality.

But these hatchet men must eventually lose the propaganda war among young people at least, the mobile phone will surely see to that.

Among millions of conversations, there will be many asking: “When are Spartak playing again?”

Not key but enough to spark other questions: Why are so many of our soldiers being killed in Ukraine?

Why is there so little in the shops? Why haven’t we heard from Alexei Navalny (the jailed opposition leader)?

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So, the football authorities are making a point. Even if Fifa and Uefa took too long to order an absolute boycott, better late than ever.

I am proud of the way our country’s football leaders have behaved.

Within a day or two of the first explosions in the east of Ukraine they pledged to withdraw all contact with Russia.

The blue and yellow colours of the invaded country along with the message ‘Football Stands Together’ were shown at every Premier League match at the weekend followed by a minute’s supporter appreciation.

In China, a rare ally of Putin’s, our actions led to a ban on screening and earlier this week the Prem ripped up the remainder of the £6million TV contract with Russia for the rest of the season.

The EFL also ended their TV agreement while the PL gave £1m in support to the people of Ukraine.

Chelsea supporters did no one any favours with their pro-Roman Abramovich chant at Burnley.

They do have reasons to be grateful to him for funding the club to the tune of £1.5bn but he does represent the rueful effects of Russian oligarchs on Britain.

Crowds overwhelmingly applaud Ukrainian players.

West Ham’s Andriy Yarmolenko could not resist an outburst against the silence of Russian footballers towards Putin’s evil.

But Fifa have at least permitted foreigners to break their contracts over there for the rest of the season.

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In general, the reaction of sport and business — with the exception of the weak-kneed International Olympic Committee — has set an example to many of the world’s governments who, I think we all realise, are desperate not to provide an excuse for Putin to press the nuclear weapons button.

We must all be patient.

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk