Zenit St. Petersburg Fined for Offensive Chants Against Albanian Striker Mirlind Daku

 Zenit St. Petersburg has been fined by the Disciplinary and Control Committee of the Russian Football Federation following offensive chants directed at Albanian striker Mirlind Daku.

Mirlind Daku

The incident occurred during the second round of the Russian Premier League, when Zenit faced off against Daku’s team. The forward found the back of the net, but his goal was later disallowed after a VAR review. Despite the cancellation, Daku celebrated near the opposing fans, which triggered an aggressive reaction from sections of the Zenit supporters.

Chanting in unison, Zenit fans shouted: “Go, get out of here!” towards the Albanian international. Their behavior did not go unpunished. The chants resulted in a fine of 20,000 rubles for the club, as confirmed by Artur Grigoriantsi, head of the Disciplinary and Control Committee of the Russian Football Federation.

“Zenit fans shouted insulting phrases against Daku. This is the second time they have violated the rules this season. The fine is 20,000 rubles,” Grigoriantsi said in an interview with R-Sport.

This is the latest in a series of disciplinary issues involving Zenit supporters, raising concerns about recurring incidents of unsportsmanlike conduct in Russian football.