Renowned Russian footballer Nadezhda Karpova found herself fielding a series of personal questions about her sexuality during an interview for a blog on the sports.ru website.
The interviewer asks a number of bizarre queries about how much money she earns and her sex life, saying, “As far as I know, I have never heard of you having a boyfriend".
Karpova replies that she’s a footballer - not a reality star - but the interviewer remains undeterred, asking point blank, “Are you a lesbian?”
“No. I never have been,” Karpova replies.
“Why is this so intriguing to everyone? What is this gimmick? In Russia they love money and personal life, or is it like this everywhere?” she says.
She's also asked during the interview whether there are any lesbians in Russian football, to which she replies that she doesn’t socialise much with her teammates.
Karpova—who used to play for Russian side Chertanova—was recently signed to Spanish team Valencia.
Russia currently prohibits “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships”—a rule that was introduced under President Putin in 2013.
In June this year, the European Court condemned the law, saying it “reinforces stigma, encourages homophobia, and discriminates against a vulnerable minority – harming children in the process.”
