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Association of Russian fans to defend fans’ rights with all available means

The fans’ association is going to make public all such incidents in relation to soccer fans, too, and to take the cases to court

MOSCOW, November 30 (Itar-Tass) —— The national association of football fans is going to defend the rights of football fans within the framework of the existing legislation with all available means.

The association’s press-service issued a special statement to this effect, obtained by Itar-Tass, over the incident involving a player of the Krasnodar soccer club, Spartak Gogniyev. The international trade union of footballers on Tuesday made public a video recording of the incident that occurred in a 30th round match of the national youth championship between Grozny’s Terek and Krasnodar clubs. The match was interrupted by a mass fight on the pitch and on the sidelines. In the 73rd minute the chief referee, Alexei Amelin, halted play, and then inspector Alexei Rumyantsev ruled that continuing the game would be impossible. Gogniyev, who was in the focus of the incident, was beaten up by the fans. The video shows the moment when the player was leaving the field and the beginning of the fight on the running lanes.

The fans’ association said it was shocked by the video recording of the player being beaten up.

“We believe that such incidents are a factor that by no means contributes to the popularity of football in our country, Besides, among the football fans it is a custom to address issues where verbal arguments work no longer in a fair manner – one on one. It was disgusting to sea one man being attacked by an assorted crowd, including police,” the statement said.

The fans’ association is going to make public all such incidents in relation to soccer fans, too, and to take the cases to court.

“It is not our business to make legal evaluations of such affairs. But, regrettably, we have to state that such attacks against soccer fans happen regularly. The public tends to pay no attention to them, because soccer fans are seen as the main destructive force in the world of soccer. We do hope that the video recording of the incident in Grozny will make the sports community not only to pay attention and react to instances of violence against players and representatives of clubs, but also take a fresh look at the abuse of the rights of fans.

Gogniyev said that the video showing his beating was of no interest to him.

The association of fans promised that it would not be a humble defendant, but campaign for the rights of people on the stands within the framework of the existing legislation by all available means.