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Gazprom says Zenit football club can play in different championship

The Control and Disciplinary Committee of the Russian Football Union punished Zenit with a technical defeat in a game against Dynamo Moscow

ST. PETERSBURG, November 24 (Itar-Tass) —— The football club Zenit St. Petersburg can continue playing in a different championship, the club’s press service said on Saturday, November 24, quoting Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller’s statement.

“If the time comes to create a new championship, we will act and take well-considered steps only in coordination with the people who support the goal of creating a CIS football championship. This was discussed the other day and the answer is affirmative” we can play in a different championship,” the Zenit press service quoted Miller as saying.

The Control and Disciplinary Committee of the Russian Football Union punished Zenit with a technical defeat in a game of the 16th round of the national championship against Dynamo Moscow. After Dynamo had scored on the 37th minute, burning flares were hurled onto the field by its fans. One of them blew up near Dynamo goalkeeper Anton Shunin, injuring him. As a result, the game was stopped.

The game was stopped 10 minutes before the end of the first half with Dynamo leading 1:0 after someone from among the Zenit fans had thrown a burning flare at Shunin, who was hospitalised with a cornea burn.

Shunin may need up to two weeks to recover, doctors at one of the Moscow clinics said.

They said the football player has a cornea, eyelid and conjunctiva burns on both eyes, as well as a post-traumatic otitis of the right ear. They advised Shunin to stay away from training for 10-12 days and to undergo daily medical checkups.

Police detained a total of 92 people, and 38 of them faced administrative penalties for various offences during the game.