Former Arsenal Midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong Sent Off In Russia For Reacting To Racist Abuse (Video)

Alan Duffy

18th, July 2015

7 Comments

By Alan Duffy

Emmanuel Frimpong never quite made the grade with Arsenal, with the Ghanaian international now plying his trade in the Russian Premier League with Ufa.

Russian football is no stranger to racism and in Ufa’s clash with Spartak Moscow on Friday, Frimpong reacted to vile ‘monkey chants’ from the opposition fans, with the 23-year-old flipping the bird in retaliation. That (understandable) reaction earned the midfielder a red card and after the game (which ended 2-2)…

After the game (which ended 2-2), Frimpong explained his actions on Twitter…

Capture

Ufa general director Shamil Gazizov described the episode as an “unfortunate incident” and revealed that he wouldn’t be asking for Spartak Moscow to be punished. He also said: “What Frimpong did was wrong. Sometimes you even have to hold back the tears and just put up with it.”

What an utterly appalling reaction to yet another embarrassing incident in Russian football. Until clubs are properly punished for the hideous behaviour of their fans, this kind of abuse will never end.

Photos: Getty Images

Video: Football24

Posted in Arsenal, Newsnow, Videos

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7 Comments

  1. Ignatius Ndebele says:

    I understand Emmanuel’s reaction to racial abuse. Only those who are privileged can blame him as they do not know what it is like to be racially abused. Racial abuse is the most painful thing a human being can tolerate.

  2. Vonslaich says:

    He’s right you know. Can you imagine the abuse some of the African teams are going to get.

    It really is pathetic the way racism is dealth with.

  3. Russ says:

    “Sometimes you even have to hold back the tears and just put up with it.”
    Russia, in a nutshell (some offence intended). Do we all remember the Olympics and the anti-gay furor? Now any human being who is not white will be exposed to the same thing. Sometimes ‘nucvear veapons’ are not enough to warrant your status as a super-power, Mister Checkhov.

  4. TeddyBallgame says:

    Absolutely unacceptable.
    Russian football should be banned from all international competitions until they start dealing with these incidents properly. Let them live in an isolated bubble of bigorty – internatinal or foreign players should avoid playing in that backward shitehole of a country.

  5. Maria says:

    I share the disgust at this behaviour, but you are over egging it a bit aren’t you Ignatius? Racial abuse the most painful thing a human can tolerate? How about other forms of persecution? Homophobia, sexism, religious persecution (eg holocost)? Or are they seconday? Also, I’m pretty sure torture is pretty painful.

    Yes racism is pathetic, but making out it’s the worst thing in the world ever won’t garner any support.

  6. Marcus says:

    Hello Brit in Russia here, I was at the game in Moscow yesterday and the Zenit game in St. Petersburg today. There was no racial abuse by the crowd at either game and although I was at the opposite to the Frimpong red card I didn’t see anything like that. OK one guy may have done it but don’t condemn a nation! There’s less banter and abuse of players here than you get in England and a much bigger % of the crowd is female or kids here than the UK. Come see a few matches here before passing judgment. Also there were a few black players on the pitch at both games and I’ve never seen a monkey chant here, its media making a story out of nothing. PS Frimpong is still hopeless Gunners fans

  7. Steven says:

    @Marcus you must have watched the game from a different planet , you can clearly hear the monkey chants as soon as he is on the ball , yet another case of people abusing a guy while he’s on his job then punishing him for reacting.

    How about if I came to your work and screamed obscenities and racial abuse at you for your whole shift? Would you not react to me ?

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