Football club faces storm over ‘Russian flag’

A Dutch football club has dismissed the “annoying” suggestion that its new promotional uniforms feature the Russian national flag. Some have suggested that the perceived detail was put there through blackmail.

SC Heerenveen, which is based in the northern Dutch province of Friesland, unveiled the new jerseys on Thursday. Unlike the regular white and blue stripes of the Frisian flag, they are mostly red, with white and blue stripes on the sleeves.

The jerseys are a tribute to the away uniforms that were worn during the 1993-94 season, which was a breakthrough for the team. The uniforms celebrate 30 years of uninterrupted participation in the Eredivisie, the top division in the Netherlands.

Some commenters online took issue with the sleeves, claiming they are a hidden reference to the Russian flag, which is white, blue, and red.

“We find it very annoying and not fun that they see it that way,” SC Heerenveen Commercial Director Martin Koopman told local media. He said he personally only thought of the flag of the club’s province.

The promotional shirts feature red water lily leaves in the design, the same as the symbol of Friesland, though they do not stand out as much as in the original color scheme.

“Fortunately, we have also received many positive reactions and some people even think it is the most beautiful shirt ever,” Koopman added.

One person online called the jerseys a “brilliant tribute to heroic Russian fighters.” Another said that SC Heerenveen was being blackmailed by CSKA, the football club associated with the Russian military. 

In 2020, CSKA signed SC Heerenveen player Chidera Ejuke to a four-year contract. However, the deal was called off early due to the Ukraine conflict, resulting in a multimillion-dollar debt. The Russians said that the Western sanctions prevented them from making a transfer of funds.