Champions League fans who imitated Borat jailed in Kazakhstan

Three Club Brugge supporters have been jailed for five days in Kazakhstan after wearing 'mankinis' – made famous by the satirical character Borat – during their team's Champions League match against Kairat Almaty.

The trio were arrested in the stands at the Astana Arena on Tuesday, having stripped down to the distinctive luminous green swimwear.

The revealing costume was popularised by English actor-comedian Sacha Baron Cohen in his 2006 film, "Borat! Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan", which satirises both the Central Asian nation and the United States.

More than 500 Club Brugge fans made the almost 6,000 km journey to watch Tuesday's tie. The three men were taken away by police after donning the flimsy outfits.

Kazakhstani police confirmed the arrests, stating: "Three men committed acts during a football match that showed disrespect and disturbed public order."

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They added: "Police officers arrested three foreign fans and took them to a police station."

Administrative proceedings were initiated for public drunkenness and minor hooliganism, leading to their five-day jail sentence on Wednesday.

Belgium's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed they are monitoring the situation, stating: "We are offering our compatriots the necessary consular support. However, for privacy reasons, we cannot provide any further information."

Baron Cohen's portrayal of Borat, a fictional Kazakh journalist, has historically caused anger in the country, with authorities discouraging screenings and threatening legal action over perceived insults to national character. However, for a 2020 follow-up film, Kazakhstan notably adopted Borat's catchphrase 'Very Nice!' in an effort to promote tourism.

Club Brugge won Tuesday’s match 4-1 to keep their hopes alive of qualifying for the Champions League play-offs.

They currently sit 27th in the 36-team table with one match to go, and need to get into the top 24 to book their spot in the play-offs.