Referees in Russia are stricter than in the English Premier League, new Anzhi Makhachkala defender Christopher Samba said Friday.
Samba joined Anzhi from English side Blackburn Rovers last month for a reported fee of 9 million pounds, and has played two Russian league games for Guus Hiddink’s team so far: a 1-0 win at Dynamo Moscow and a 0-0 home draw against Spartak Moscow.
“In Russia, things are much harsher when someone commits a foul. When there’s a small push and contact, there’s a booking,” Samba said on the Anzhi website.
By contrast, in England, “the referees set a higher standard for physical play,” he said.
Samba received his first Russian yellow card in his second game for Anzhi following an aerial challenge with Spartak Moscow defender Rodri.
Samba, meanwhile, praised Anzhi coach Hiddink, saying that he allowed players more room to improvise than his former Blackburn coach Mark Hughes.
“I also liked to play for Hughes, he just paid a lot of attention to discipline,” he said.
“With Hiddink, although the organization of the game’s very important to him, the players aren’t forced into rigid formations and can express their identity and show their best side.”
French-born Samba joined Blackburn in 2007 from German side Hertha Berlin for 400,000 pounds, and scored 16 goals in 160 Premier League appearances.
Anzhi are seventh with 56 points in the Russian Premier League, three points off third-placed Dynamo Moscow, who occupy the final Champions League qualification spot.
