Yep, you read that right.
Vyacheslav Koloskov, former Vice-President of FIFA for 16 years, former head of the Russian FA, and a member of the group that successfully brought the 2018 World Cup to the country, thinks we’re all making far too big a deal of this racism lark.
After Torpedo Moscow were ordered to play two games behind closed doors due to their fans racially abusing Zenit’s Brazilian striker Hulk, Koloskov said: “Monkey chants are believed to be racist. Where is it written?
“A small group of Torpedo fans were far away and I didn’t hear any monkey chants. Neither did the match delegate, who was also sitting there. Only (Zenit coach Andre) Villas-Boas and Hulk heard them.
“In general, there is the term “racism” (for monkey chants) but there are no terms of racial abuse at sporting events.”
Despite racism apparently not being a problem in Russia, it’s the third time this season that Torpedo Moscow’s fans have been punished for similar behaviour.
In September, former Blackburn defender Christopher Samba was the subject of racial abuse from the Torpedo fans while playing for his club, Dynamo Moscow, as were Rostov’s black players when they faced Torpedo in November.
Hat-tip BBC Sport
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