Denying Russian soccer player visa to enter Britain a ‘huge injustice’ says Greek club coach

PAOK coach Razvan Lucescu. [Achilleas Chiras]

Russian soccer player Magomed Ozdoev being denied a visa to enter Scotland for a European game was a "huge injustice," his coach at Greek club PAOK said Wednesday.

Ozdoev was refused entry by British authorities for the team's Europa Conference League qualifying game in Edinburgh on Thursday against Hearts.

The decision came three weeks after another player with a Russian passport, Gaël Ondoua of Swiss club Servette, could not travel to Glasgow to play in the Champions League qualifying rounds against Rangers.

"I feel a sense of huge injustice not to have a player here in our group because of the reason of a visa," PAOK coach Razvan Lucescu said at a news conference ahead of the first leg of the Europa Conference League playoff.

"I don't understand the people who decide about this," the Romanian coach said. "In a personal way, I feel very bad."

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