FIFA has asked the Russian Football Union to "explain why it banned a Ghanaian footballer for two matches for his reaction to fan racism" and did not sanction the alleged abusers' team, according to Rob Harris of the AP. In video from Friday's Russian Premier League game, Spartak Moscow fans "could be heard racially taunting FC Ufa midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong." The former Arsenal player is black. Reacting with a "finger gesture to the fans" led to Frimpong being banned for two games, while Spartak "escaped punishment over the latest racism incident to blight Russian football ahead of the 2018 World Cup." The RFU found "no evidence of racism." But FIFA Sustainability Head Federico Addiechi, whose brief covers racism issues, said Thursday that the Russians have "been given until Tuesday to respond to the governing body's disciplinary department" (AP, 7/23). REUTERS' Brian Homewood reported a United Nations official said on Thursday that Russian football authorities "need to do more to combat racism and have so far failed to fully grasp what it means." Racism was "thrown back into the spotlight" on Wednesday when the RFU rejected allegations that Frimpong was "racially abused." U.N. Anti-Discrimination Section Chief Yuri Boychenko said, "I don't think there is a total denial of racism in Russia but there is
certainly a lack of understanding by officials in Russia of what racism
is. ... Too often, officials in Russia only see the problem from their point of
view. They do not stand inside the shoes of the victim and see it from
his point of view" (REUTERS, 7/23).
'BEYOND A JOKE': The BBC reported Frimpong called the RFU "beyond a joke" after he was handed a two-game ban (BBC, 7/22).
