---
title: "Serhiy Chobotenko Recalls Strangest Provocation: Opponent Brought a Paperclip to the Pitch"
description: "Polissya defender Serhiy Chobotenko recalled a bizarre episode from Ukraine's youth team when a Turkish forward poked him with a paperclip."
date: 2026-10-07T07:00:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/serhiy-chobotenko-strangest-provocation-paperclip
tags: [serhiy-chobotenko, polissya, football, ukraine-u15, provocation]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Serhiy Chobotenko Recalls Strangest Provocation: Opponent Brought a Paperclip to the Pitch

![Serhiy Chobotenko defender of Polissya football club](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/07/sergey-chobotenko-strannaya-provokatsiya-skrepka/sergey-chobotenko-strannaya-provokatsiya-skrepka-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Serhiy Chobotenko recalled a match of Ukraine's youth team against Turkey.
- The opponent used a paperclip for physical provocations.
- The referee did not punish the forward because he managed to throw the item away.

Defender of Zhytomyr football club Polissya Serhiy Chobotenko shared memories of the most unusual and bizarre episode in his entire sports career. Speaking in an interview with media, the footballer recalled his time playing for the youth national team of Ukraine, when he had to face an extremely unorthodox and even dangerous method of psychological and physical pressure from an opponent on the football field.

### Unusual 'Weapon' at a Youth Tournament

The incident occurred during an international match of junior national teams (under-14 or under-15 age category), when the Ukrainian team played against Turkey. According to Chobotenko, the Turkish forward tried to unbalance the defender mentally throughout the match using unsparing methods, specifically employing an ordinary office paperclip. The opponent methodically poked the Ukrainian player with the sharp object during duels.

### Referee's Reaction and Lack of Punishment

The young defender immediately tried to draw the referee's attention to the opponent's illegal actions, showing his poked side. However, the Turkish striker managed to get rid of the evidence before the referee could conduct a detailed inspection. As a result, the incident went without disciplinary sanctions from the officiating crew, and the young footballer had to continue playing under harsh physical pressure.

### Controversial Data

In open sources and sports databases, details of youth matches between Ukraine and Turkey from those years are minimally covered, as they pertain to under-15 competitions. However, Serhiy Chobotenko himself emphasizes the uniqueness of this episode in his interviews, noting that throughout his further professional career at the senior level, he never again encountered such sophisticated methods of provocation from opponents.

### The Importance of Psychological Resilience in Football

Such bizarre cases from the junior past highlight the difficulties young players face on their way to professional football. The ability to cope with provocations, maintain concentration, and control emotions in international-level matches becomes a crucial factor in shaping the character of a future national team player or Premier League club regular.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Чоботенко рассказал о самой странной провокации в карьере: соперник вышел на поле с "оружием"](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/chobotenko-rozpoviv-naydivnishu-provokatsiyu-1791356204.html) - Оригинальное интервью футболиста Сергея Чоботенко на Sport RBC.UA
- ["С первого дня не сомневался": Чоботенко – о новом контракте с "Полесьем", Корнелиусе и скрепке от ...](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/z-pershogo-dnya-vagavsya-chobotenko-noviy-1791326026.html) - Оригинальное интервью футболиста Сергея Чоботенко на Sport RBC.UA

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: In which national team did this bizarre episode happen?
**A:** The incident occurred during Serhiy Chobotenko's time playing for the youth national team of Ukraine (U-14 or U-15).

### Q: What exact item did the opponent use for provocations?
**A:** The opponent used an ordinary office paperclip to poke the defender in the side during the match.