A little over a week ago I posted my opinion that FIFA should pass Russia over as a World Cup host
due to a racist banner that flew at Lokomotiv Moscow's stadium. I'll admit that my reaction was
visceral, and that I didn't not have a full sense of racism's place in Russian soccer when I wrote
it.
Alexei Sorokin denies Russian football has a problem with racist fans, despite recent controversy
in a league game.
Lokomotiv Moscow fans celebrated Peter Odemwingie's sale in the transfer window with a banner
showing a banana and the message: "Thanks West Brom".
Lokomotiv escaped sanction, but Sorokin told BBC Sport: "The RFU doesn't accept any
demonstrations of racism.
Remember how Lokomotiv Moscow fans held up a banner last month thanking West Bromwich Albion for
taking Russian-Nigerian striker Peter Odemwingie off their hands? The club attempted to claim the
banner wasn't racist, but the words "Thanks West Brom" and an image of a banana weren't too hard to
interpret.
With just a couple of months left until the voting starts for the hosting of the 2018 and 2022
World Cup finals, it is perhaps unsurprising that a story should enter the public domain regarding
racism that involves, to some extent, clubs from the two countries that are the current favourites
to win the nomination to host the 2018 tournament.
With just a couple of months left until the voting starts for the hosting of the 2018 and 2022
World Cup finals, it is perhaps unsurprising that a story should enter the public domain regarding
racism that involves, to some extent, clubs from the two countries that are the current favourites
to win the nomination to host the 2018 tournament.
