The quarter-final clash of the Russian Cup between Volga and Zenit in Ulyanovsk on February 25 concluded with a clear 3-0 win for Sergey Semak’s team. The result drew little attention from a vast fanbase, mainly because the second-half pause interrupted the momentum of the game.
A banana flew from the stands toward Zenit as Wendel was substituted, with Yuri Kozlov taking his place on the field at the Trud stadium. The moment sparked immediate commentary from spectators and media alike.
While Wendel did not publicly react after the match, his manager Cesare Barbieri spoke up from the touchline. The coach questioned the incident and called for a measured response, saying he had not yet contacted Wendel and would await Zenit’s stance on the matter. The public exchange was captured in quotes reported by Sport-Express. The Russian Premier League later issued an official statement condemning any racist act during the cup match, urging authorities, including the RFU, to identify and sanction the perpetrators swiftly. The league stressed the seriousness of racism in football and called for definitive penalties for those responsible, as published on the league’s official site.
Former Torpedo Moscow chief Alexander Tukmanov commented on the incident, noting that while cultural standards in stadiums have shown improvement, past scenes would not have occurred in earlier eras when foreign players were more prevalent in Russian football. Tukmanov’s remarks were reported by Vprognoze.ru. In an interview with socialbites.ca, Yuri Gavrilov, a former Spartak Moscow player and USSR national team member, downplayed the racial episode, arguing that such behavior should not overshadow the sport and suggesting sanctions if necessary, while maintaining that scrutiny should align with broader efforts to combat racism.
Gavrilov’s stance echoed a wider sentiment in some circles that punishments should target individuals rather than clubs, and that fan safety measures should be enhanced through governance mechanisms already in place, such as Fan ID. The discussion included the suggestion that individuals responsible for racist acts ought to face consequences, while clubs could not realistically be held solely accountable for the actions of a few fans. The aim, many argued, was to deter repeat offenses and preserve the integrity of football venues.
Vyacheslav Koloskov, honorary president of the RFU, joined the call for accountability, emphasizing that consequences must follow such acts. He warned that allowing racist incidents to pass would stain the sport and urged a clear isolation of those found guilty from football grounds, a stance reported by socialbites.ca.