As Russia prepare for their knock-out match against Spain this weekend, the host nation are still making headlines even when their players are off the pitch.
Avid followers of the tournament so far may remember Natalya Nemchinova, a passionate follower of the beautiful game dubbed ‘the prettiest Russian football fan’. She was spotted by a photographer during Russia’s opening games and caused quite a stir among viewers.
Natalya, 28, sporting two flags, a traditional Russian ‘kokoshnik’ on her head and wearing a top emblazoned with ‘Russia’ across the front, was clearly displaying a high level of patriotism for her country.
So much so, in fact, that it led to some viewers zooming in on Natalya’s Fan ID in order to work out her identity. And, as her name and image spread across the internet, images and videos appeared that were allegedly of the football fan in X-rated films.
Natalya has since responded to the issue, saying it has reduced her to tears to be dubbed a porn star in the media, reports the NY Post.
She said:
In fact this is a very old story. I was in a relationship with a young man five years ago.
When we broke up he got back at me. He uploaded a home video to the internet and that is how it began.
I never worked as a porn actress, I never sold my body for cash. I was a model for some time, but that was my hobby, not a steady job.
She also said it was her friends who told her about the attention she was receiving, as she is not on social media, and says she has a good reputation.
Natalya added:
I was shocked by all this, I even cried, I am lucky that there are people who support me and who know who I am.
Unfortunately, things did not stop there for Natalya, and now her husband has spoken out about the issue, saying she has ‘cried her eyes out’ at the rumours of her secret career.
Sergey Roschupkin, 46, said the claims in Moscow were ‘tearing her apart’, reports the Daily Mail.
Sergey, who owns a chain of fitness clubs where Natalya works, said:
Yes, she did work as a model.
She took part in some rather explicit photo sessions, but you do know the difference between nude and porn, don’t you?
Some of our people do not distinguish striptease and prostitution.
He explained how the reaction has affected them, saying:
Natasha is in great stress, she has cried out her eyes because of all she has faced recently. And they keep tearing her apart.
I have known Natasha for so many years, she is like a family member for me. You can’t stop admiring her, she is a fantastic girl.
The widespread attention, however, hasn’t dampened Natalya’s passion for football, as Sergey confirmed she will be cheering on her country at Russia’s next game on Sunday against Spain.
Until then, there’s still plenty of football to be enjoyed. In fact, isn’t there a game on tonight? I’ve heard rumours it’s coming home…
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Charlie Cocksedge is a journalist and sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated from the University of Manchester with an MA in Creative Writing, where he learnt how to write in the third person, before getting his NCTJ. His work has also appeared in such places as The Guardian, PN Review and the bin.