Soccer News of Saturday, 18 July 2015
Source: GHANAsoccernet.com
Frimpong was sent off the gesturing at the fans who racially abused him
Russian club UFA have shockingly revealed that they won’t be backing their Ghanaian midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong by calling for rivals Spartak Moscow to be punished even though he was racially abused by fans of the giants.
Ufa general director Shamil Gazizov says his club would not be calling for Spartak to be punished, describing it as an “unfortunate incident” insisting they are friends of the Moscow club.
Former Arsenal player Emmanuel Frimpong was sent off playing for Russian side FC Ufa after he gestured to the crowd with his middle finger in response to alleged monkey chants.
The midfielder, 23, was playing away to Spartak Moscow in the opening game of the Russian Premier League season.
“When the match was stopped, the fans started shouting ‘monkey’ at me,” said Ghana’s Frimpong after the 2-2 draw.
Shocking his club UFA won’t be standing up for their Ghanaian player who was at the end of the racist abuse
“There were people who could have shouted things. These are emotions which go away after the game. We are partners with the red and whites and are on good terms,” Gazizov said.
“What Frimpong did was wrong. Sometimes you even have to hold back the tears and just put up with it.”
Russia hosts the next World Cup in 2018, and Frimpong added: “Abused… and yet we going to hold a World Cup in this country where Africans will have to come play football.”
Manchester City and Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure, who has been racially abused while playing in Russia in the Champions League, has previously said black players might boycott the World Cup unless the country tackles racism in football.
Last season, Torpedo Moscow’s Congolese defender Christopher Samba was banned for two matches for gesturing to fans following racist abuse.
There have been more than 200 cases of discriminatory behaviour linked to Russian football over the past two seasons.
But in March former head of Russian football Vyacheslav Koloskov said too much is made of racism in the country and has also questioned why monkey chants are assumed to be racist.