By David Gold
April 18 – A former Spartak Moscow footballer, Andrey Tikhonov, has claimed that racism in Russian football did not exist a few years ago.
Russia has, however, experienced a troubled history of racism in the sport over recent years, with a number of high-profile incidents tarnishing its image.
Midfielder Tikhonov (pictured) enjoyed a distinguished career in Russian football, playing for Spartak Moscow, Krylya Sovetov Samara and FC Khimki from 1992, before retiring from the game last year.
“I played so much football and there was never anything like that,” the 41-year-old told RIA Novosti.
“There was always a shared language and no-one paid attention to the colour of someone’s skin.
“We never bullied or teased anyone.
“How is it for women, for children, who want to go to the stadium?
“They come to the match and the swearing there, the negativity… it’s awful to allow children to go to the football.”
Last year Anzhi Makhachkala’s Brazilian legend, Roberto Carlos, had a banana thrown at him while playing against both Zenit St Petersburg and Krylya Sovetov.
The fruit was also hurled at Anzhi defender Christopher Samba (pictured above, in yellow) during a game in Moscow earlier this year.
Other leading players, including Spartak Moscow’s Brazilian forward Welliton and former Lokomotiv Moscow player Peter Odemwingie, a Soviet-born Nigerian, have also been the victims of racist abuse in Russia, remarkably by fans of the clubs for which they played.
An increasing number of players from Africa and South America have moved to Russia in recent years, such as Nigerian duo Emmanuel Emenike and Victor Obinna, of Spartak Moscow and Lokomotiv Moscow, respectively and Brazilians Vagner Love and Daniel Carvalho, both formerly of CSKA Moscow.
The Russian football authorities have announced that they are determined to stamp out the problem, especially, with the 2018 World Cup around the corner, and have set up a task force to tackle racism.
Premier League teams in England now have to install video cameras in stadiums to help track down anyone guilty of racist abuse.
Contact the writer of this story at zib.l1734800723labto1734800723ofdlr1734800723owedi1734800723sni@d1734800723log.d1734800723ivad1734800723
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