Russian Cherchesov, who coaches the football team of Kazakhstan, joked about the Kazakh language

The coach of the Kazakhstan national football team, Russian specialist Stanislav Cherchesov, caused a scandal by joking about the Kazakh language during a press conference after the game against Slovenia.

When journalist Bekasil Seyithan asked him a question in Kazakh, Cherchesov replied: “Are you speaking to me in French now?” The comment caused a negative reaction from people who accused Cherchesov of disrespecting the state language.

The president of the Football Federation of Kazakhstan, Adilet Barmenkulov, defended Cherchesov, who explained that the coach’s joke was related to the fact that the journalist was wearing a French T-shirt.

However, sports commentator Bekasil Seyithan, who asked the question, called the joke inappropriate.

This is not the first time that Cherchesov has been criticized because of language problems. Although he enrolled in Kazakh language courses, his remarks have sparked tensions in Kazakhstan, where the language remains a sensitive topic amid broader geopolitical concerns, especially since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.