Four detained after racist soccer incident

Police have detained four soccer fans suspected of throwing a banana at Brazilian Roberto Carlos last night, in the latest racist incident against the newly signed player, Life News reported.

Roberto Carlos stormed off the pitch after the incident, which came at the very end of an away game between his club, Dagestan’s Anzhi Makhachkala and Krylya Sovetov of Samara.

“Due to the fact that the incident had a very wide resonance in society, we have to deal with the situation as soon as possible,” a member of Samara’s police force told Life News. He said the four men, members of the Krylya Sovetov fan club, were being questioned. The fan club’s security officer said the guilty party would be fined and banned from future matches.

Robert Carlos angrily walked off the pitch after the incident, shaking his head and looking at the crowd, raising two fingers and saying “two times.” In April, Zenit St Petersburg was fined $10,000 after a fan waved a banana in Roberto Carlos’ face during a match. The commentators, meanwhile, barely take note, saying simply: “That, guys, was pointless.”

After the match, Robert Carlos told Russia’s Sport Express: “I'm outraged by the sickening behavior of this fan, who, in fact, insulted not only me but all the players. I hope the Russian federation, UEFA and FIFA will give an adequate evaluation to this disgusting incident.”

Roberto Carlos, one of the world’s most famous (if aging) players, joined Anzhi earlier this year. Racism and soccer go hand-in-hand in many countries around the world, and Russia is no exception. A race riot that gripped Moscow late last year was organized in coordination with soccer fan clubs.