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| Emmanuel Frimpong hits out at Russian FA after it rejects racism claims | Emmanuel Frimpong hits out at Russian FA after it rejects racism claims |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Emmanuel Frimpong has criticised the Russian Football Union after it rejected allegations that he was racially abused by Spartak Moscow supporters. The Ufa midfielder described the verdict as “beyond a joke”. | Emmanuel Frimpong has criticised the Russian Football Union after it rejected allegations that he was racially abused by Spartak Moscow supporters. The Ufa midfielder described the verdict as “beyond a joke”. |
| The RFU disciplinary committee found no evidence of racism after Frimpong claimed he was subjected to monkey chants during the first match of the Russian Premier League season last Friday. | The RFU disciplinary committee found no evidence of racism after Frimpong claimed he was subjected to monkey chants during the first match of the Russian Premier League season last Friday. |
| Related: Russian football’s ‘Miss Charming’ contest winner deposed in neo-Nazi row | Related: Russian football’s ‘Miss Charming’ contest winner deposed in neo-Nazi row |
| The 23-year-old former Arsenal player was sent off after he raised a finger to the crowd in response and has been suspended for two Premier League matches, the RFU added in a statement. | |
| Frimpong wrote on Twitter: “Also in other news been banned for two games acceptable on my part for the gesture no problems with that. | Frimpong wrote on Twitter: “Also in other news been banned for two games acceptable on my part for the gesture no problems with that. |
| “But for the Russian FA to say they didn’t hear or see any evidence of racism is beyond a Joke ...Glad it’s all over thanks for support. | “But for the Russian FA to say they didn’t hear or see any evidence of racism is beyond a Joke ...Glad it’s all over thanks for support. |
| “I’ve always said we are blessed in England and how wonderful of a country it is not saying there ain’t racism in England of course but not to this crazy extent we live on thanks Gooner family and everyone for your support must stress not all Russians behave like that.” | “I’ve always said we are blessed in England and how wonderful of a country it is not saying there ain’t racism in England of course but not to this crazy extent we live on thanks Gooner family and everyone for your support must stress not all Russians behave like that.” |
| Frimpong’s words come on the day the Brazil striker Hulk was announced as one of the star names taking part in the preliminary draw for the 2018 World Cup, days after the Zenit St Petersburg forward raised fears of racism at the tournament in Russia. | Frimpong’s words come on the day the Brazil striker Hulk was announced as one of the star names taking part in the preliminary draw for the 2018 World Cup, days after the Zenit St Petersburg forward raised fears of racism at the tournament in Russia. |
| The head of the disciplinary committee, Artur Grigoryants, said: “The match inspector and the match delegate did not note that there had been any disciplinary violations by Spartak supporters towards Frimpong in the match reports. | The head of the disciplinary committee, Artur Grigoryants, said: “The match inspector and the match delegate did not note that there had been any disciplinary violations by Spartak supporters towards Frimpong in the match reports. |
| “There were no instances of racism. We have no grounds to take disciplinary sanctions against Spartak. Frimpong has been banned for two games for the offensive gesture he displayed towards the stands.” | “There were no instances of racism. We have no grounds to take disciplinary sanctions against Spartak. Frimpong has been banned for two games for the offensive gesture he displayed towards the stands.” |
| Related: Arsène Wenger on retiring: ‘Sir Alex has his horses. I have no horses’ | |
| The midfielder, who apologised for his reaction, was invited to attend the hearing but did not appear. | The midfielder, who apologised for his reaction, was invited to attend the hearing but did not appear. |
| The Russian Premier League’s security director, Alexander Meytin, also said the league had not found any evidence of Spartak fans racially abusing Frimpong. | The Russian Premier League’s security director, Alexander Meytin, also said the league had not found any evidence of Spartak fans racially abusing Frimpong. |
| “The video cameras did not pick up any evidence of gestures. There were no gestures aimed at the footballer,” Meytin said in an interview with the Russian sports website Championat.com. | “The video cameras did not pick up any evidence of gestures. There were no gestures aimed at the footballer,” Meytin said in an interview with the Russian sports website Championat.com. |
| “We asked the stewards. They did not see anything either from the fans,” he added. | “We asked the stewards. They did not see anything either from the fans,” he added. |
| Football’s world governing body Fifa had said it would ask the RFU to provide details of the incident. | Football’s world governing body Fifa had said it would ask the RFU to provide details of the incident. |