October 22 – UEFA’s decision to slap a three-game behind-closed-door home ban on CSKA Moscow for a series of misdemeanours has been criticized by the captain of Manchester City whose fans were also excluded from last night’s 2-2 Champions League draw.
Belgium’s Vincent Kompany says City were the innocent victims of the sanction and that the rules have to be changed.
“Why the hell do we not have any fans here? What have our fans done wrong?,” said a furious Kompany after the game which reduced City’s chances of qualifying for the knockout phase. “There’s no fairness in it.”
A small group of CSKA supporters watched from the main stand in a crowd estimated at 650 but the lack of atmosphere was palpable. City were pegged back despite taking a 2-0 lead and are now without a win from their opening three group games.
“You say no fans, all of a sudden you turn up and the team who has no fans is Man City. So who’s getting punished?” added the normally mild-mannered Kompany. ” Who’s being done for racism, Man City or Moscow? It needs to be looked at, it needs to be changed. Our fans shouldn’t be punished.”
City are understood to have brought the issue to the attention of Uefa but CSKA media director Sergey Aksenov countered: “Those people you are talking about are 360 people from the Uefa Champions Club – partners, sponsors. If they are CSKA fans they are good for us”
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