Russia's bid to host the 2018 World Cup was involved in massive controversy, and with the tournament just around the corner, there will be one more headache for the country's officers to deal with.
During the game between Russia and France, racist chants could be heard from the stands everytime Paul Pogba or Ousmane Dembelé touched the ball. Those chants became even more audible when Pogba scored via a free kick, and could even be heard on TV.
Following complains from the French Sports' Minister Laura Flessel and even from the United Nations, FIFA decided to open an investigation on the matter.
"FIFA is collecting the different match reports and potential evidence in regards to the discriminatory incident reported in the media. Until we have evaluated all information available, we cannot comment further," football's governing body said in a statement.
The anti-discrimination group known as Fare also made a statement via their spokesperson, Piara Powar.
"There should be enough there for FIFA to initiate proceedings. If photographers heard it pitch-side, then there must have been stewards and other officials who also heard it. If, toward the end of March, these guys don’t know what to do, and they’re not initiating procedures and protocols that exist, then that doesn’t bode very well for the World Cup," Powar added.
This is not the first racist incident in which Russian fans have been involved this season. What's even more troubling is that St. Petersburg Stadium will be hosting one of the semi-finals, and things could take an ugly turn if proper measures aren't taken by the Russian government.
