Russia deny World Cup bid tainted by racist supporters

The head of Russia's 2018 World Cup bid has insisted that the country does not have a problem with racist fans.

Alexei Sorokin, the bid's chief executive, also claimed that a banner aimed at Nigerian striker Peter Odemwingie by Lokomotiv Moscow fans showing a banana and saying: "Thanks West Brom" was not racist.

Odemwingie himself however has no doubts that the banner was racist.

Sorokin told BBC Sport: "The Russian Football Union doesn't accept any demonstrations of racism.

"I know that this banner applied to a certain player and to the manner of how he played in his last matches," said Sorokin.

"Apparently fans were not happy with the fact that he plays better for Nigeria and worse for the club. That's why they have shown their satisfaction after he left. And there is nothing racial in it.

"If there would be another player - from Russia, Denmark, Norway or Japan, for example - the reaction could be the same. In Russia 'to get a banana' means 'to fail a test somewhere'."

Sorokin said some black players such as Brazil's Vagner Love had become fans' heroes.

He added: "About five years ago one Russian international was booed as well and received the same banners. This is a free expression of the will but there are all kinds of measures for those who misbehave.

"The Russian football union doesn't absolutely accept any demonstrations of racism and roughly restrains them with all available methods."

Galina Kozhevnikova, deputy director of the Russian SOVA Centre for Information and Analysis, which monitors extremism in the country disputes Sorokin's claim however.

She said: "The phrase 'to get a banana' existed in the time of the Soviet Union and has almost disappeared from the slang. The RFU simply doesn't want to recognise that banner as a racism."

Odemwingie said he had regularly been subjected to racism in Russia and had no doubts about the banner.

He said: "Sadly, it's a picture of a minority group in Russia - it really makes you feel sick but that is what it is."