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CSKA Moscow FC appeals UEFA sanctions imposed after away match against AS Roma

The football organization ordered CSKA to play their next three UEFA competition home matches behind closed doors, in addition the club was fined 200,000 euros (over $253,000)

GENEVA, October 15. /TASS/. Russian football club CSKA Moscow submitted an appeal with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) against a set of sanctions earlier imposed by the European football governing body in regard to the Russian club following last month’s Champions League club’s away match against AS Roma.

The appeal from the CSKA Moscow FC is scheduled to be considered by UEFA on October 27.

On October 3 UEFA imposed a set of sanctions against the Russian club over its supporters misconduct during the match against AS Rome. The football organization ordered CSKA to play their next three UEFA competition home matches behind closed doors. In addition the club was fined 200,000 euros (over $253,000).

UEFA also announced that the club was “banned from selling tickets to their fans for the next two UEFA Champions League group stage games, which the club will play as the visiting side.”

The match against AS Roma, which ended with CSKA’s crushing 1-5 defeat, was held on September 17 in the Italian capital. CSKA Moscow’s fans began casting flares starting after the 71st minute of the match and also attempted to force their way to another sector of the stadium from the one, where they were seated.

The Russian club’s fans also entered a scuffle with AS Roma fans before the match but police managed to disperse the fighting parties. Two of CSKA fans were detained by police before the game and 15 more after the match.

UEFA also accused CSKA fans of unfolding a banner during the match that allegedly contained a race-hate instigation statement.

UEFA’s October 3 set of penalties followed previous sanctions against CSKA as the club was earlier ordered by UEFA to play its Champions League’s Group E match against Bayern Munich FC in late September in empty arena in Moscow. UEFA’s order was issued following CSKA’s fans poor behavior last December during the match against Viktoria Plzen FC.

Russia Football Union’s (RFU) disciplinary committee had been recently also very active imposing penalties on domestic football clubs for their fans misconduct during the games. Security and fans behavior during football matches is under a close attention of the Russian football authorities also because the country is in full swing preparations for hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2018.

FIFA World Cup 2018 in Russia

Russia won the bid to host the 2018 World Cup over three years ago in a tight race against the joint bid from England, Portugal and Spain and the joint bid on behalf of Belgium and the Netherlands.

Following an official ceremony held in September 2012 and attended by FIFA President Sepp Blatter, Russia eventually selected 11 out of the earlier proposed 13 cities, excluding Krasnodar and Yaroslavl. The final list of the 2018 World Cup host cities includes Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi, Kazan, Saransk, Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg and Samara.

The matches of the 2018 World Cup will be held at 12 stadiums located in the 11 mentioned above cities across Russia.