Russia's racism cases head: Players who react to abuse are "so-called victims"

Russia's top official in charge of adjudicating football racism cases has said that abused players should not be considered victims if they react with an "unpleasant gesture".

Artur Grigoryants, head of the Russian Football Union's disciplinary committee, made the comments about players in Russian professional football, including the former Blackburn Rovers and Queens Park Rangers defender Christopher Samba.

He said that that they were "so-called, in inverted commas, victims" and insists that it is right to punish them for losing "control".

Russia, who will host the 2018 World Cup, has only "rare cases of racism" at stadiums, Grigoryants added.

Samba, now at Dynamo Moscow, was charged after reacting to racist abuse from Torpedo Moscow fans in September.

In December, FC Rostov midfielder Guelor Kanga, from Gabon, was banned for three matches for raising his middle finger towards Spartak Moscow fans who were racially abusing him.