Share

Russian club drops 2 players after Instagram poem dispute

Moscow - Two Russian players have been left out of Spartak Moscow's squad for a Europa League match amid a dispute over a poem posted on Instagram.

Spartak says captain Denis Glushakov and defender Andrei Yeshchenko won't travel to Austria for Thursday's game against Rapid Vienna.

They're accused of pressing the "like" button on an Instagram video of Russian actor Dmitry Nazarov mocking Spartak coach Massimo Carrera.

Speaking in verse, Nazarov says "Carrera isn't our happiness" and wonders "how many disgraces do we need before our gratefulness runs out?"

Carrera won the Russian title with Spartak in 2017, but the club is already five points behind league leader Zenit St. Petersburg this season and was eliminated from Champions League qualifying.

The club hasn't commented on the case directly and didn't explain why the two were dropped.

Glushakov says he didn't like the post in question.

Yeshchenko hasn't commented.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1473 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2252 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE