March 1, 12:04
The governor called it a matter of honor to search for a Zenit player who threw a banana
The governor of the Ulyanovsk region, Alexei Russkikh, said that the Russian Cup match was overshadowed by the racist antics of one of the spectators, who must be found and punished.
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(Photo: Kremlin Pool / Global Look Press)
The Governor of the Ulyanovsk region, Alexei Russkikh, considers it a matter of honor for all law enforcement agencies and regional authorities to find a person who threw a banana towards a black player during the Fonbet – Russian Cup match between Volga and Zenit. He stated this at a meeting of the headquarters for the integrated development of the region.
“Unfortunately, the event was overshadowed by the racist antics of one of the spectators. I consider it a matter of honor for all law enforcement agencies and regional authorities, real Volga fans, to find this person and punish him, ”Russkikh quotes “RIA Novosti”.
Russkikh instructed the Minister of the Ulyanovsk Region, Gennady Nerobeev, to provide all necessary assistance to law enforcement officers, and also asked to keep the public informed.
RFU will consider the incident with a banana thrown at a Zenit player on March 3
The meeting of the first round of the lower bracket of the playoffs was held in Ulyanovsk on February 25 and ended with the victory of Zenit with a score of 3:0.
At the end of the match, a banana was thrown onto the field. This happened during the replacement of the Brazilian footballer Zenit Wendel. The Russian Premier League later condemned this racist incident.
For such violations, in accordance with clause 45 of the RFU Regulations, Volga can be punished: a ban on the admission of spectators to the sectors of the stadium for one to three matches, a ban on holding one to three matches with spectators, and the removal of three points in the championship. The Control and Disciplinary Committee of the Russian Football Union (FTC RFU) will consider all episodes of this match on March 3.
The shooter was caught on CCTV cameras and the police are still looking for him.
Ivan Vitchenko.