By Mark Baber
December 31 – Zenit St Petersburg fans can’t keep the club out the news at moment. The club has submitted an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, following violence at a league match against Dynamo Moscow.
The club are disputing the decision of the Control and Disciplinary Committee of the Russian Football Union following the incident on 17 November when a flare was thrown from the Zenit (away fans) end hitting Moscow goalkeeper Anton Shunin in the face.
Shunin was taken to hospital with a burn to his cornea and the game was called off after 36 minutes with Dynamo leading 1-0.
CCTV footage led to the arrest of three girls, one of whom allegedly threw the pyrotechnics after smuggling them into the stadium in condoms ‘inside her body’.
Article No 32.2 of the Russian FA’s disciplinary code states that “the club playing away from home bear responsibility … for all breaches by spectators included in its support group.”
The rules also state any supporter located in the away sector at the stadium is considered part of this group, unless proved otherwise.
Accordingly the Russian FA awarded the game to Dynamo as a 3-0 technical victory, insisted Zenit play 2 home games behind closed doors and fined the club. Fans were also banned from Dynamo for one home game.
Zenit are not happy with the punishment and in the immediate aftermath blamed Dynamo, who they claimed should be held responsible for security at their home matches as well as threatening to leave the league.
The legal basis of Zenit’s submission to the CAS is as yet unclear.
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