Brazilian soccer star and former FC Barcelona player Ronaldinho, prepares to play in the Chechnya’s regional leader Ramzan Kadyrov’s team against the Italian former players team in Grozny, Russia, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2017. The Chechen leader, who is fond of sports, particularly soccer and martial arts, enjoys bringing foreign sports stars and other celebrities to Grozny. (AP Photo/Musa Sadulayev)
GROZNY, Russia — Brazil great Ronaldinho has played a game in Chechnya alongside the Russian region’s authoritarian ruler Ramzan Kadyrov.
Ronaldinho, a two-time world player of the year, scored for Kadyrov’s team as it won an exhibition 6-3 against a lineup of Italian former players, including World Cup winners on Saturday.
Kadyrov himself took to the field and scored for his team, which was largely made up of Russian ex-pros with a smattering of government officials.
The Chechen leader is fond of sports, particularly soccer and martial arts, and has often brought foreign sports stars and other celebrities to Chechnya as a sign of prestige for the formerly war-torn region.
International rights groups have accused Ramzan Kadyrov’s feared security forces of extrajudicial killings, abductions, torture and other human rights abuses.