Grozny Soccer Club Punished For Kadyrov Comments

The soccer club Terek Grozny, based in the Chechen capital, has been hit with a fine after the Russian republic’s leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, publicly criticized a referee during a match.

The Russian Soccer Union’s Disciplinary Committee ruled on March 20 that Terek must pay 200,000 rubles ($6,500) and play one match on a neutral ground.

During the March 17 match between Terek and Tatarstan’s Rubin, Kadyrov used the stadium’s public address system to denounce the referee as “bought” after a Terek player was sent off in the 87th minute.

The match ended in a scoreless draw. Kadyrov wrote in his Instagram account on March 17 that he apologized to the “soccer world, but not to the referee” for his outburst.

Based on reporting by RIA Novosti, ITAR-TASS, and Interfax

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