Russian football is reeling after a volatile cup semifinal between CSKA Moscow and Krasnodar, marred by allegations of racism and a post-match dressing room incident, according to Sport-Express.
CSKA secured a 3-0 victory over Krasnodar in the first leg of the Russian Cup semifinal on Wednesday, but the match is now overshadowed by events both on and off the pitch.
During the contest, Krasnodar forward Jhon Cordoba was reportedly subjected to racist abuse from the stands.
Players on the field alerted the referee to the incidents occurring in the crowd.
Dressing Room Vandalism Reported
However, it was the state of the Krasnodar dressing room after the match that has drawn significant attention.
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Eduard Bezuglov, CSKA’s medical chief, posted images on Telegram showing the Krasnodar dressing room at VEB Arena in Moscow in disarray.
The photos depict significant damage, with the dressing room appearing to have been trashed.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t expect anything else. But why did they break the doors?” Bezuglov wrote.
Jhon Cordoba of Krasnodar was reportedly targeted with racist abuse during the match. Photo: OMAR VEGA (AFP)
Krasnodar quickly responded to the images, claiming the damage was a deliberate attempt to deflect from the racism allegations.
“We will do it at any cost, even through pictures from a locker room, which, frankly, always looks like this after matches,” the club stated.
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CSKA Player Dismisses Racism Claims
CSKA Moscow midfielder Matvej Kislyak downplayed the racism allegations, suggesting Krasnodar was using them as an excuse for the defeat.
“It just looks silly,” Kislyak told Match Premier, referring to Krasnodar’s reaction to the alleged abuse.
“If they aren’t ashamed, they should just play on. We just play football and stay calm. I learned as a child to lose with dignity,” he added.
