A scandal has erupted in the Russian Premier League after the Krasnodar vs Akhmat match played on October 4 in round 11 of the championship. Krasnodar won the game, but the main topic after the final whistle was the clash between the club’s captain Eduard Spertsyan and Akhmat’s Senegalese defender Usman Ndong.
Several minutes before the end, Ndong struck his opponent with his elbow several times. After reviewing the video, the referee sent off the Akhmat defender, while Spertsyan received a yellow card for provocative behavior. Ndong later said his reaction had been a response to a racist insult.
According to the Akhmat player, Spertsyan allegedly told him in Portuguese: “Shut up, black shit.”
Spertsyan denied the accusation and said the insult had come first from his opponent. According to his version, Ndong had been provoking him throughout the match and used a Spanish obscenity during one episode. The midfielder says he replied with the phrase cala boca, meaning “shut up.” After the altercation, he was left with a split lip and several broken upper teeth.
Akhmat publicly backed its player and said it would seek a review by the RFU Control and Disciplinary Committee. Club general director Akhmed Aydamirov made a series of harsh statements, saying Ndong had been subjected to a racial insult. Krasnodar, in turn, defended its captain. Club general director Vladimir Khashig said racism was impossible in such an international squad.
State Duma deputies also joined the discussion. The RPL confirmed that a note about the incident had been added to the match report based on statements from Akhmat representatives and would now be reviewed by the RFU’s judicial bodies using all available evidence. Sports lawyer Mikhail Prokopets said that if racism were proven, Spertsyan could face a suspension of up to 10 matches; at the same time, he noted that the alleged victim’s words alone would not be enough and lip-reading experts could be involved.
On the evening of October 5, Spertsyan published a video statement calling the situation a “circus” and saying he was ready to take a polygraph test.
“Check the cameras, read lips, a polygraph test is no problem. I am confident in myself and in my words. I grew up in the Caucasus and know all the rules,” the player said.
This is not the first major racism-related incident in the RPL in 2025. In the spring, Zenit midfielder Wendel accused Fakel fans of racist abuse, after which the Voronezh club was punished with one home match behind closed doors and a fine of 1 million rubles.