Allegations by Ufa’s Ghanaian midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong that he was racially abused by Spartak Moscow supporters have been rejected, the Russian Football Union (RFU) said on Wednesday.
The RFU Disciplinary Committee found no evidence of racism after Frimpong claimed he was subjected to monkey chants at the first match of the Russian Premier League season last Friday.
The 23-year-old former Arsenal player was sent off after he raised a finger to the crowd in response and has been suspended for two Premier League matches, the RFU added in a statement.
“The match inspector and the match delegate did not note that there had been any disciplinary violations by Spartak supporters towards Frimpong in the match reports.” the head of the Disciplinary Committee Artur Grigoryants told reporters.
“There were no instances of racism. We have no grounds to take disciplinary sanctions against Spartak.”
“Frimpong has been banned for two games for the offensive gesture he displayed towards the stands,”
The midfielder, who apologised for his reaction, was invited to attend the Disciplinary Committee hearing but did not appear.
The Russian Premier League’s security director Alexander Meytin also said the league had not found any evidence of Spartak Moscow fans racially abusing Frimpong.
“The video cameras did not pick up any evidence of gestures. There were no gestures aimed at the footballer,” Meytin said in an interview with Russian sports website Championat.com.
“We asked the stewards. They did not see anything either from the fans.”
Football’s world governing body Fifa had said it would ask the RFU to provide details of the incident.
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @NatSportUAE
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
if you go
The flights
The closest international airport to the TMB trail is Geneva (just over an hour’s drive from the French ski town of Chamonix where most people start and end the walk). Direct flights from the UAE to Geneva are available with Etihad and Emirates from about Dh2,790 including taxes.
The trek
The Tour du Mont Blanc takes about 10 to 14 days to complete if walked in its entirety, but by using the services of a tour operator such as Raw Travel, a shorter “highlights” version allows you to complete the best of the route in a week, from Dh6,750 per person. The trails are blocked by snow from about late October to early May. Most people walk in July and August, but be warned that trails are often uncomfortably busy at this time and it can be very hot. The prime months are June and September.
