Rooster Thrown On Soccer Field In Homophobic Attack On Coach
Fans threw a rooster onto the filed during a Russian soccer match, in an apparent homophobic attack against one team's coach.
During Sunday's game between Fakel Voronezh and Luch-Energiya Vladivostok, a spectator picked up a live rooster and chucked in on the pitch. The bird flapped its wings over to the touchline and the suspect cheered and made obscene gestures as others shouted "Grigoryan is a rooster," a reference to Vladivostok coach Alexander Grigoryan.
"Rooster," or "petukh," is Russian slang referring to the passive partner in anal sex, and is the equivalent to "faggot."
Coach Grigoryan has received threatening phone calls throughout the season. Vladivostok was leading 1-0 at the time the rooster was thrown, but went on to lose the match 3-1. The Russian Football Union is considering levying punishment over the incident.
The traumatized poultry wasn't the only animal to interfere with a soccer game in Russia last weekend: The San Francisco Chronicle reports that, before a third-tier game Saturday in the North Caucasuses, a trained bear named Tima was sent out to ceremonially present the ball to the referee.
Once again, the impromptu mascot didn't bring any luck: Host team Mashuk-KMV Pyatigorsk lost the game 3-0.