Alexander Panov blasts Zenit St. Petersburg fans for poor behaviour in the UEFA Champions League
Zenit St. Petersburg fans have tried to stop the UEFA Champions League group stage game against Apoel FC by using firecrackers and smoke bombs at Petrovsky stadium, though, the match ended in a 0-0 draw after ninety minutes of
gruelling action.
Former Zenit player, Alexander Panov, has lamented the situation and accused the fans of affecting the Russian outfit’s reputation in European competitions.
The match officials had to stop the match on the 56th minute mark, due to low visibility on the pitch caused by smoke around the Petrovsky stadium.
“It was not a good behaviour from the fans. They might get a disqualification to see the next three home games of the club because of their unjustifiable act. I think it was an unpleasant incident that will harm the reputation
of the Russian football.” Panov was quoted as saying
He added: “The match was interrupted for about 10 minutes. I am not saying that the break has affected the game but perhaps because of the fans misconduct, the team has suffered psychologically.”
The fact that Zenit midfielder, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Roman-Shirokov-c31645, insulted the spectators in a post match press conference does not seem to bother the Russian national, who preferred to remain silent on labelling the fans ridiculous. However, he
was displeased with the fans' behaviour and hoped for a better attitude.
Speaking on the match performance, the former Dynamo Moscow player revealed that he was not expecting a laggard performance from the St. Petersburg club. Panov is of the view that Zenit failed to convert most of their chances despite
attacking the visiting team the entire match.
The 36-year-old went on to oppose the decision of the third Russian Premier League round introduced by the Russian football Union, revealing that it has contributed negatively to the teams belonging to the UEFA Europa League and
the Champions League.
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