MOSCOW, April 29 (R-Sport) - A Russian linesman has been banned for life for assaulting an 18-year-old player at a football game in Chechnya, an official told R-Sport on Monday.
Footage of the incident posted online shows Musa Kadyrov attacking left-back Ilya Krichmar after a reserves game on Friday between two Russian Premier League sides, local team Terek Grozny and Krichmar’s Amkar Perm.
After the final whistle, the middle-aged Kadyrov shoved Krichmar to the ground and kicked him hard in the ribs before a crowd of players separated the two, the footage shows. Krichmar had insulted Kadyrov’s mother, Russian FA official Alexei Spirin has said.
The linesman, who was making a rare appearance at a national-level game, was swiftly punished by Chechnya’s regional FA.
“Musa Kadyrov has been banned for life from working as a referee by the Football Federation of the Chechen Republic. I have the relevant transcript from the meeting,” said Lom-Ali Ibragimov, head of an umbrella organization for regional FAs in southern Russia.
“Having received a ban from the republic’s federation, he will not be able to work anywhere.”
Ibragimov blamed the player for provoking Kadyrov, who he said was “guilty, but you can understand him.”
“Throughout the whole game, the Amkar player was swearing at him, and Kadyrov didn’t signal with his flag once after these actions, instead referring it to the referee. Unfortunately, the referee didn’t react,” he said.
Krichmar, who appeared unhurt after the incident, has been given a retrospective red card for his conduct. Terek won the game 2-1.
The incident is the second football-related scandal to hit Chechnya in the space of a month, after the republic's leader Ramzan Kadyrov, not understood to be related to the linesman, branded a Russian Premier League referee “bought” over the public address system during a Terek game.
Terek were fined for that outburst, and also ordered to play one home game at a neutral ground as punishment for Ramzan Kadyrov confronting the same referee after the game.
(Updated at 5:30 p.m. with details of incident, background, minor edits, alters lead)
