MOSCOW, June 3. /TASS/. The sport of football in Russia has no problem with racism manifestations, Russia’s football chief told TASS on Monday.

"I see none of such manifestations," Alexander Dyukov said in an interview with TASS. "The most recent example was a couple of years ago in the city of Ukyanovsk and it was rather an exception," Dyukov said in an interview with TASS.

"To speak in general - we have no racism in our football," Dyukov added.

The FIFA Congress on May 17 agreed on the basic principles of the fight against racism in the sport of football and introduced a "crossed hands" gesture to signal to referees incidents of racist abuse.

On February 25, 2023, Zenit Saint Petersburg FC played an away match against Volga FC in the Russian city of Ulyanovsk defeating hosts 3-0. Within minutes of added time to the match’s first half some of the spectators from the hosting club cast a banana in the direction of Zenit FC’s Brazilian midfielder Wendel.

On March 3, 2023, the RFU’s Control and Disciplinary Committee ruled to impose 500,000 rubles (some $5,560 at the current exchange rate) fine on Volga FC and ordered the club to play its next home match without spectators in the stadium’s stands.