Ex-player of Omsk Avangard became a victim of Russophobia in the Czech Republic

Hockey forward Nikita Shcherbak, who played for Avangard for some time in the 2019/20 season, gave an interview to the media, talking about the game in the Czech Championship and the general attitude towards Russian players in Europe. Among other things, he noted that last season he removed the drawing with the Russian flag from his helmet, speaking for Mountfield – in fact, trying to at least get a good attitude towards himself from the environment. By the way, in the end it did not help him in the Czech Republic.

Striker of the Slovak “Slovan” Nikita Shcherbak in an interview with the media told how he removed the Russian flag from his helmet when he played in the Czech Republic in the 2022/23 season. Then he played for Mountfield from Hradec Kralove. This was connected with politics – as you know, in terms of Russophobia, the Czech Republic jumps in the EU, actively competing with Poland in this.

“I must be careful when answering you. It is sad to see what is happening in Ukraine. Nobody in the world wants this, they don’t want people to die. I wanted to show at least such a trifle that I disagree with some things and do not support them. But I don’t like to talk about politics, I want to focus on hockey and show my best game,” he told Sport Aktuality.

Thus, it can be indirectly judged that Shcherbak tried to look like a “good Russian”, like Russian fugitive political liberals in the Baltics or Israel.

In the end, however, in September 2022, this “feint” did not help him – the Czech Republic still did not extend the player’s work visa, so he could not conclude a new contract with Mountfield or another Czech team.

Also in a conversation with the “sharks of the pen” Shcherbak added that it is now more difficult to play in the EU, being a Russian hockey player.

“It had an effect in Hradec, where my visa was not extended due to my nationality. It’s unfair, but they chose to do so. There was nothing more I could do about it. I believe that in the future everything will return to normal, ”he said.

It is worth recalling that Avangard signed Shcherbak in 2019, when he returned from a not-too-successful “business trip” to the NHL. He is married, by the way, to a Canadian citizen, fashion model Lauren, as a result, the fans trolled in absentia that because of her the hockey player was forced to lead a particularly glamorous lifestyle in Moscow. Already in the course of the season, the hawks let him go to Traktor as a free agent. But after the end of the 2019/20 championship, he did not stay in Chelyabinsk either. More while in the KHL, he did not play.

Earlier we wrotethat in March 2022, against the backdrop of the political situation and the outbreak of Russophobia in Finland, Finnish defenders Ville Pokka and Oliver Kaski left Avangard ahead of schedule.