Montenegro vs Russia

Megazone said:

Russia's match at Montenegro was temporarily suspended shortly after kick-off when Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev appeared to be struck by a flare fired from the stands.

The European Championship qualifier was stopped about a minute after it began as Akinfeev received treatment and was carted off the pitch on a stretcher.

Akinfeev was taken to the local hospital in the Montenegrin capital Podgorica, where he was seen on a stretcher and wearing a neck brace. UEFA doctor Slobo Mandic went with Akinfeev and said the goalkeeper was conscious.

"I hope he will be fine," Mandic said, adding that the brace was put on as a precaution.

Referee Deniz Aytekin ordered the players to leave the pitch in Podgorica after the incident, though the game resumed after a delay of about 35 minutes. Yury Lodygin replaced Akinfeev in goal for Russia.

Police arrested the Montenegro fan who threw the flare, TASS news agency reported. The stadium announcer said the match would be abandoned if any more crowd trouble occurred.

Akinfeev, 28, is Russia's first-choice goalkeeper and started at the World Cup in Brazil last summer. During Russia's match against Algeria, Akinfeev was the target of a laser light shining in his eyes.

Russia are third in their European qualifying group with five points in four games, just ahead of Montenegro on goal difference. The teams need to finish second to guarantee qualification to Euro 2016 in France.

It is not the first case of severe crowd trouble during a Euro 2016 qualifier. Last year, a match between Serbia and Albania was abandoned after a drone carrying a political banner was flown into the stadium.

A Serbia player pulled the banner down and Albanian players tried to protect it. In the resulting disorder, Serbian fans attacked Albania players. Both teams were punished over the incident.

http://www.espn.co.uk/football/sport/story/416859.html

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dazzer6666 said:

Trouble on and off the pitch according to reports

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Pretty pink fairy said:

Montenegro isn't eastern european, STUCK BETWEEN CROATIA AND ALBANIA with Italy the other side of the Adriatic,been to Budva nice place
regrads
DR

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WhingForPresident said:

I know it's not exactly related but on the topic of Eastern European football violence I was at the Dynamo Kyiv game against Guingamp in the Europa League last month and it was a bit of an eye opener to say the least. 250-odd Kyiv fans stormed the running track to get at the French fans after they pulled out some effectively 'pro-Russian' banner, cue shitloads of stewards running on and taking savage beatings then all the players leaving the pitch for 20 odd minutes 'til they'd all been penned in. Heard from people at the ground that the 'ultras' have a habit of roaming the streets after games with glass bottles and smashing them in the faces of anyone they don't like the look of, even their own fans.

Racial abuse went on for 90 mins as well, yet the only punishment they got was that they had to close one block of seats for the Everton game. Then of course in the Everton game they got done for racial abuse again, got a £10k fine and have to close off another block of the stadium for the Fiorentina game (which will obviously kick off as well).

Be 'against modern football' all you like but I for one am bloody glad that our football isn't like that. I wouldn't dream of taking my son to football over there.

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Pretty pink fairy said:

Montenegro isn't eastern european, STUCK BETWEEN CROATIA AND ALBANIA with Italy the other side of the Adriatic,been to Budva nice place
regrads
DR

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