Andrey Arshavin: Emenike should not be punished for his gesture

Zenit St. Petersburg midfielder Andrey Arshavin discussed the differences between Russian and English supporters and admitted he would not punish Spartak striker Emmanuel Emenike for the rude gesture aimed at the Dynamo fans.

«The atmosphere in the English arenas is significantly different to the Russian ones. We have the flare shows, which I really enjoy watching. I wouldn’t ban flares from the stadiums. But we should fight against incidents of racism and people throwing objects on the pitch,» the Arsenal playmaker, on loan at Zenit, admitted.

«As for Emenike, I agree that footballers need to control their emotions better, but I can understand his frustration. I would not punish him, if it were up to me,» he added, speaking to Sport-Express.