The Russian Football Union said Monday that it would investigate a Channel One television report that members of the Russia national team had drunk alcohol and frolicked with prostitutes ahead of their loss against Slovenia in the World Cup playoff last month.
The union said in a statement that the investigation would be internal and that it also had sent official letters to the heads of Channel One and Moscow’s Marriott Grand Hotel, whose staff were cited on Channel One’s “Chelovek i Zakon” show, requesting proof of the reliability of the television report.
The “Chelovek i Zakon” program broadcast Thursday said Russia team members had drank, smoked hookah pipes and spent time with prostitutes on the eve of the Nov. 14 playoffs.
Two football players singled out on the show, brothers Alexei and Vasily Berezutsky, said in an interview published Monday that they were considering legal action against Channel One.
“All professionals perfectly understand that everything that was voiced is a clumsily fabricated lie,” Vasily Berezutsky told the Sport-Express newspaper.
Russia beat Slovenia 2-1 in the first leg of the World Cup playoff on Nov. 14 in Moscow but were eliminated by Slovenia on away goals following a 2-2 aggregate draw after losing the second leg 1-0 in Maribor on Nov. 18.
The “Chelovek i Zakon” program included hidden-camera interviews with people identified as staff of the Marriott Grand Hotel and several Moscow restaurants where the players stayed and dined ahead of the game.
Players are allowed to drink alcohol up to four days before a game, Vasily Berezutsky said in the Sport-Express interview.
The Berezutsky brothers play for both the Russia national team and Moscow’s CSKA football club.
Channel One and Marriott had no immediate comment.
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