Russian football club fined for racism
Roberto Carlos of FC Anzhi Makhachkala during the March 21 match against FC Zenit St. Petersburg at the Petrovsky Stadium in St. Petersburg.
The transfer of Roberto Carlos, once Brazil’s star player, to a local Russian club was a huge deal in Russia. (It was a huge deal in the West too, but for different reasons – few understood (cha-ching) Carlos’ reasons for picking up and moving to Dagestan, one of the most dangerous corners of Russia, wracked by a growing insurgency and violent conflict for local power.)
The euphoria of having a star (if slightly over the hill) player didn’t last long. During one of his first games with Anzhi Makhachkala, Roberto Carlos had a banana waved in his face by a fan of the opposing team, Zenit St Petersburg, Russia’s Premier League Champion. Not cool. See the disturbing photo here.
On Thursday, the club was fined $10,000 by the Russian Football Union. Zenit had already said the fan would be banned from its Petrovsky Stadium for life.
Football has a notorious tendency to attract racists, and Russia is no exception. In 2008, Zenit was $58,000 after its fans threw bananas and made monkey chants at three black players from Marseille. Yet more proof that Russia has a lot of work to do – and not just on infrastructure – before it hosts the World Cup in 2018.