The chairman of the RFU Referee Committee, Pavel Kamantsev, discussed the incident involving Bernard Berisha of Akhmat Grozny and Guillermo Abascal of Spartak Moscow on the YouTube channel Komment.Show. Kamantsev argued that Berisha did not deserve a red card for his leap at Abascal during the celebration and asserted that the match officials acted within the existing rules and interpretations when they issued only a yellow card.
According to Kamantsev, the decision reflected an assessment that there were provocative actions within the technical area of the opposing team, which warranted a caution rather than a dismissal. He acknowledged that some observers might view the incident as exceptional and deserving stricter punishment, but emphasized that the ruling followed the current laws of the game as they stand today.
The Commission for Disciplinary Control (CDC) had already indicated it would consider the matter closed, since the on-field referee and the assistant referee had made their ruling based on what they saw in real time. In the event of a formal complaint to the Expert Subcommittee, they would review the case, though there would be no immediate legal consequences arising from that review.
Kamantsev pointed out that red cards are not warranted by the governing rules in this particular scenario. He suggested that if a different sequence occurred—such as a collision with the goalkeeper or a player struggling to retreat from the technical area in a way that created clear danger—the outcome could have been different and potentially required a harsher sanction.
During the match, Berisha executed a two-footed leap toward Abascal as the Spaniard celebrated a goal. Abascal reacted by pushing Berisha away. After the exchange, referee Evgeniy Kukulyak showed Berisha a yellow card and briefly expelled Abascal from the technical area. Under the regulations, a different consequence might apply if Berisha had remained on the bench area or if additional breaches were considered to have occurred.
The final score favored Akhmat Grozny, who won 2-1 with goals from Hamid Agalarov and Svetoslav Kovachev. Anton Zinkovsky scored for Spartak Moscow, providing a brief counterpoint in the match narrative.
Reports indicate that the President of Referees had suggested resignation if Berisha were not punished appropriately, underscoring the high expectations surrounding disciplinary actions in such scenes. The episode continues to be a focal point for discussions about how best to apply existing rules to similar situations in high-pressure matches.