A former Premier League star is facing punishment by the Russian FA for responding to racial abuse from the crowd.
Former Premier League defender Christopher Samba is facing a possible ban after he responded to racist abuse with an “unpleasant gesture” according to the Russian FA.
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Samba was racially abused during the first half of Dynamo Moscow’s match against Torpedo Moscow, and although the Congolese international was substituted at half time, he has been called up on a charge by the Russian Football Union for displaying an “unpleasant gesture” to Torpedo Moscow fans.
Torpedo have already been punished for their fans’ racist abuse, the RFU announcing that one of their stands would be closed for their next game. But with racial issues so rife in Russia, it’s hard to see how these minor punishments will do anything to deter these fans in the future.
CSKA Moscow were recently punished for the third time in a year for racism, with the Russian club having to host Bayern Munich in an empty stadium for their next Champions League game.
Nor is this the first time that Christopher Samba has faced racial abuse in Russia, the former QPR man having a banana thrown at him while playing for Anzhi Makhachkala in 2012. Samba threw the banana back into the crowd, but did not face any punishment on that occasion.