Zenit Against Racism

Football players and fans from tens of different countries, with different religions and nationalities, are united under the Zenit flag. We are sure that tolerance for others is the only possible principle for the development of football, sports, and our club.

Zenit football team will always support the principles of tolerance and equal opportunity in all the events it takes part in, whether they be social or sporting events, organized both by the club itself or by organizations and companies.

Racism is defined as the belief in the superiority of one race, religion, or ethnic group over all others. Racism is usually manifested by the use of statements or actions which debase the surrounding people. Racism can be either intended or unintended, due to insufficient information or a low cultural level. Racism can be manifested openly, or it can be hidden and take on an organized form.

The European football arena is one of the most prestigious in the world, and attracts the attention of hundreds of millions of fans who love football. Sportsmen from all corners of the earth play in the highest European football leagues, which makes football in many European countries a true multi-national sport which features huge ethnic diversity. That said, despite the sporting talent of football stars from Africa, Southern and Central America, Asia, Australian, and all the corners of Europe, racism continues to darken the joy of playing football, both for professional footballers and their fans.

The main policy implemented by Zenit football team has always been and continues to be to achieve the goal of leaving hooliganism and racism outside the pitch and outside of football.

Zenit football club unites hundreds of football players and millions of fans from various countries, of various nationalities and religions. Tolerance is the only possible principle for developing football, sports, and our club.

Zenit football club believes that people, fans, come together around the club and at the stadium. The fans’ most important interest is football, and thus all the fans at the stadium are united from sector to sector, they know that there is no place for racism in football, or in society as a whole. The club does everything possible with its actions to prove that sporting events built on the principles of friendship and tolerance are the only possible type of confrontation.

The club has a firm stance towards fans who show a lack of respect to the players and fans of other nationalities and confessions. The club does not allow such people to be at the stadium, and takes all measures to reveal such cases, and to prohibit such fans from ever returning to the stadium. Zenit football club actively supports national football anti-racism campaigns, and plans to take part in the European campaign “Show racism a red card.”

Zenit will always support the principles of anti-racism and equal opportunity at all of its events, be they social events or events organized and conducted by the club.

The European movement “Show racism a red card” was born at the end of the 1990s. The first activists of the campaign were professional football players themselves who personally opposed racism in football. Following the players, clubs actively supported the initiative, and opposed racial intolerance, demonstrating “red cards” to racism before football matches. The movement was supported widely throughout Europe, and each year more and more new football clubs joined it. For youngsters, famous and distinguished football players are heroes and idols, and the words that stars say are easily and quickly picked up. The Zenit program “Show a red card to racism” is additionally supported by the sub-program “Lessons of friendship and football.” We show children all of the existing problems, and call on children to make their own choice in favor of tolerance. The fact that star football players provide all this information makes it more accessible and understandable. And most importantly, this campaign is aimed not only at football players, but also at all followers of football and all inhabitants and guests of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region.