A new racism scandal has rocked Russian football in the run-up to the World Cup -- and anxious Moscow authorities are taking it seriously. The idea of fans targeting black players with monkey chants is haunting Russian football chiefs heading into the June 14 to July 15 celebration of the ‘beautiful game’. Following calls from French sports minister Laura Flessel for “European and international” action, football’s ruling body FIFA is now investigating. This hatred spilled onto Russian football stadiums in the last two decades as clubs began signing African and Latin American players. “I hope that the Russian football authorities get to grips with this,” he said at the time.

Source: Hindustan Times March 29, 2018 13:18 UTC