The coach of KHL side Vityaz Chekhov, Andrey Nazarov, has apologized for attacking Belarusian fans with a hockey stick during his team’s away game at Dynamo Minsk.
“Dynamo Minsk, people of Belorussia, we all love and respect you,” Nazarov said in his video statement. “I apologize for what has happened. Being a KHL club and National Team coach I shouldn’t have behaves myself that way, but sometimes emotions just take over you. It was a working moment, generally. So take no offense on us. What we did is shown you a great game today. The match was very interesting in my point of view, everybody liked it. We welcome you to Chekhov. We all love, respect and wait for you. So don’t bear a grudge against us.”
The video, which was recorded in Victoria hotel in Minsk after the game on November 6, was put on the web by the Belorussian police. Apologies allowed the Vityaz coach to avoid administrative responsibility for his actions.
Former NHL tough-guy, Nazarov, broke four hockey sticks trying to deal with the Minsk supports, who were throwing foreign object at the visitors as reaction on the Vityaz’s rude play.
Despite escaping the Belarusian law, the 37-year-old was still punished by the KHL as the league awarded him a two-game ban.