This is the last article you can read this month
You can read more article this month
You can read more articles this month
Sorry your limit is up for this month
Reset on:
Please help support the Morning Star by subscribing here
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini hopes CSKA Moscow supporters will learn from the punishment handed to their club for the racial abuse of Yaya Toure.
CSKA must play their next Champions League home match in a partially closed stadium after their supporters were found guilty of aiming monkey chants at the City midfielder a fortnight ago.
Toure was so upset by the abuse he received at the Arena Khimki that he suggested players could boycott the 2018 World Cup in Russia if such behaviour is not stamped out.
For their part, CSKA vehemently denied any racist taunting took place but accepted their punishment, which will apply to the visit of Bayern Munich on November 27.
With the clubs due to meet again at the Etihad Stadium this week the matter is again being discussed, and Pellegrini hopes the way forward has been shown.
The Chilean said: “The fans of CSKA made an important mistake. The club, I don’t know why they denied it at the beginning or what their reaction is now, but Uefa acted and gave them the punishment they deserve.
“I hope we can leave it in the past and it will be an example for Russian fans because they have a World Cup in their country.”
Defender Pablo Zabaleta, who was sitting alongside Pellegrini at a press conference to preview the next Group D meeting of the sides, also hopes Uefa maintains a strong stance.
He said: “Obviously what happened in Moscow was really hard for Yaya.
"We are all behind him and any time we see something like that we try to help the players. Hopefully Uefa is always on it. As players we can do nothing, we just need to give a massive support to the black players when they have some problems like that.”
Pellegrini conformed that England goalkeeper Joe Hart will remain on the bench tonight.
Hart was dropped for Saturday’s 7-0 Premier League home win over Norwich City, with Costel Pantilimon starting.
“I don’t know when Joe will come back to the team. We will see in the future what we must do,” said Pellegrini, whose side are currently second in Group D, three points behind Bayern Munich.
