Support The Moscow Times!

FC Spartak Moscow Put on Probation Over Fans' Racist Chanting

Stringer / Reuters

Russia’s Football Union (RFU) has placed FC Spartak Moscow on probation for its fans’ racist chants against a player of a rival team during a derby last week.

Authorities have been cracking down on acts of hooliganism and xenophobia in the months running up to the 2018 FIFA World Cup that Russia hosts less than 100 days from now. 

The RFU ruled to provisionally bar Spartak fans from attending the team’s next home game, the Championat.com website reported following the decision on Wednesday. 

The club was also fined 350,000 rubles ($6,100) for its fans’ racist chants against Lokomotiv Moscow’s Guilherme Marinato during a hostile Moscow derby on Sunday. 

“Why the **** does Russia’s national team need a monkey?” the fans reportedly chanted, targeting Lokomotiv's Brazilian-born goalkeeper Guilherme, who received Russian citizenship in 2015 and now trains with Russia's national team.

Spartak had already been fined for the same chant after a Russian Supercup game against Lokomotiv last July.

The team landed in hot water in January when the club’s Twitter account posted a video of its black players with a caption saying: “see how the chocolates melt in the sun.”

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more