Campaigners have told a team to axe a player who they claim has links to Ukraine's far right – but club bosses have argued that the striker, who describes the allegations as "lies", has the right to express himself in a democracy.
Roman Zozulya penned a two-season contract with Fuenlabrada – a small outfit in southern Madrid – on July 31, as confirmed by an official statement.
"Zozulya is a new CF Fuenlabrada player," it said. "The striker arrives free and signs for the next two seasons with the option of another.
"His last team was Albacete, where he played for four seasons in which he scored 26 goals."
Upon the signing being announced, the 31-year-old was asked about his alleged neo-Nazi ties at his presentation and answered once more: "It's all a lie. I come to play football and help the team.
"I am very happy to be here ready to give 100 percent on the field. I am ready to die on the field. [I'm] glad to be in this family."
Anticipating backlash, with Rayo Vallecano fans forcing his exit after just 37 days in their employ in the past, Fuenlabrada director Miguel Melgar said: "We are in a democratic country and you have the right to express yourself with respect.
"I would tell people that we are very responsible with what we do. Personally, I would never agree on all those political issues or whatever they say.
"I don't agree and I know the player doesn't either. Because we have people who have worked with him at the club and know him very well. We ignore a lie repeated many times that seems true."
Desde Fuenla Entiende nos posicionamos totalmente en contra del fichaje de #Zozulya por el @fuenla ya que puede atraer a la ciudad grupos neonazis por las ideas políticas que defiende el jugador.https://t.co/4zRawjN68i vía @Fn_noticias
But that has done little to quell opposition to his presence at the minnows, with an LGBTQ group joining the throng of voices who would prefer the 33-cap former Ukraine international to never don their blue shirt – just as Alcorcon supporters did recently, dissuading their club from making an approach for the controversial figure.
Like Melgar, Fuenla Understands stressed that it "will never question the political ideas of each person, since we live in a democratic rule of law."
The group added that it is "concerned that there may be incidents with ultras and people who are fond of that player", seeming to argue that players tend to bring supporters with them to club.
"Sport promotes tolerance and respect and with this type of transfer, situations can be experienced in our town that increase insecurity every time there is a game and people who are fond of Zozulya," the group stated.
"From all over the world, it is known that people with this ideology do not believe in respect, tolerance and diversity and tend to carry out attacks on groups such as [LGBT alliances] or immigrants."
Fuenla Understands has called on the club to reconsider Zozulya's signing in light of their town being "a benchmark in defense of Human Rights and Diversity."
"[It] cannot promote signings like the Ukrainian forward for his fascist, xenophobic and LGBTQ-phobic ideas – values that have nothing to do with those of sport and that clash with those that Fuenlabrada has been building and championing for years," they warned.
Zozulya helped his new side to a 1-0 win over Real Madrid's Castilla reserve and youth team on Saturday, but the pressure on the club could force him out before Fuenlabrada kick off their Second Division campaign against Tenerife this Sunday.
The 31-year-old scored four goals for his country between 2010 and 2016 and spent almost a decade in the Ukrainian Premier League with Dynamo Kiev and Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk.
The Dynamo youth product briefly joined Real Betis after leaving Ukraine for Spain, failing to score in six first-team appearances for the La Liga side.
