Scottish fans are worse than Russia's, says 2018 World Cup bid leader

By Andrew Warshaw in Moscow

September 21 – The most important official in Russian sport has launched another passionate defence of his country’s record on racism and urged FIFA not to be influenced by “stereotypes and misconceptions” when it votes on where to stage the 2018 World Cup.

Russian football has been plagued in recent weeks by allegations of racism after Nigeria striker Peter Odemwinge complained about his treatment when playing for Lokomotiv Moscow.

Lokomotiv fans celebrated his sale to West Bromwich Albion with a banner showing a banana and the message, “thanks West Brom”.

But Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko insists the Western press is noit playing fair by alleging racism was rife in Russian football.

“No country is perfect but we want the world to play fair,” he said.

“Most of our top clubs have black players.

“If racism was a big issue in Russia, 53 per cent of players wouldn’t be foreign.”

Mutko cited the 2008 UEFA Cup between Zenit St. Petersburg and Glasgow Rangers as an example of how clubs in other countries are more guilty than his own citizens.

“When Zenit went to play that match, let me say I hope I’ll never live to see the day when Russian fans behave in the same way as the Scittish fans did,” he said, his translator accidentally saying “English” before correcting herself.

Speaking at the offices of Sport Express, the highly respected Russian sports daily, Mukto told a group of international reporters there was a danger his country’s bid could fail for all the wrong reasons.

Even his fellow Executive Committee members at FIFA, he said, still faced falling into the trap of associating Russia with the old Soviet Union.

“There are obviously vestiges of the past but Russia is a different country,” said Mutko, Russia’s FIFA Executive Committee member.
“All the negative conceptions of the old Soviet Union were placed upon Russia and we inherited all of them.

“No matter what we say and do, we are portrayed as a universal threat and a hotbed of corruption, with no democracy and no free press.

“All those are convenient stereotypes and misconceptions that are simply not true.”

Admitting he felt under pressure to deliver the 2018 World Cup to his country, Mutko added: “I have to be convinced that a Russian effort will be treated with the same fairness and openness as an effort from any other country.

“Sometimes when you talk to a member of the FIFA Executive Committee, even if that person has travelled to Russia, they will see what they want to see rather than what is before their eyes.

“I went to China before the Beijing Olympics and saw with my own eyes what was happening.

“I didn’t need to be told.

“You have to be blind not to see how Russia is progressing.”

Mutko’s anti-racism stance was supported by Russian bid chief executive Alexei Sorokin who shook his head in exasperation when challenged, at an earlier briefing, on the same issue.

“Nobody will say the problem the problem does not exist at all,” he said.

“We have a big society with all the problems that throws up.

“We have a population of 140 million and 180 nationalities living in our country.

“But racism is not systematic or something that is characteristic of our society.

“A small minority cannot be perceived as the position of our country.

“We absolutely denounce racism.”

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