The severity of racial discrimination among fans at football matches is being blown out of proportion by the Russian media, former goalkeeper and coach Sergey Ovchinnikov said in an interview with the R-Sport agency.
After a series of racially motivated incidents in the Russian premier league, a Russian ethics committee formed a special working commission to combat racism, xenophobia and extremism in the stands.
Several days ago a fan threw a banana at Anzhi defender Christopher Samba, who is African. “The theme of racism in media is a little bit exaggerated. I do not think that all sensible people throw bananas on the field in order to show that they are racists,” Ovchinnikov said.
“It is in all competitions. We can never change people. This is the way fans express their protest. I do not think it’s all conscious, but rather emotions,” Ovchinnikov concluded.
