Radimov Criticizes Spertzian for Posting Injury Photo

Former Russian national team player Vladislav Radimov criticized FC Krasnodar captain and Armenian national team midfielder Eduard Spertzian for posting a photo of his injured leg after the match against Zenit in the 24th round of the RPL. The match ended in a 1-1 draw on April 12.

In the 78th minute, Zenit's forward Pedro was sent off after VAR intervention for a rough challenge on Spertzian. Following the match, the Armenian midfielder shared an image on his Telegram channel depicting the cuts and bleeding injuries on his leg.

Later, Arthur Grigoryants, head of the RFU Disciplinary Committee, announced that Zenit had officially appealed the red card given to the player. Milorad Majic, head of the Referee and Inspection Department, confirmed that the Expert-Referee Commission (ЭСК) deemed Pedro's dismissal a mistake.

Radimov expressed his confusion regarding the need for a penalty, stating, "Pedro was the one who played the ball first, while Spertzian hit his knee. Where do you see a foul here? I’m not even talking about a yellow or red card. To me, this was not a foul. I agree that it was a manly battle, and Spertzian just arrived late on that play. In such one-on-one situations, the ball isn't won otherwise; there is no other option. Pedro got to the ball first, and it was Spertzian who fouled him. I have a lot of respect for Spertzian as a player, but regarding posting the injury photo, I think Edik acted wrongly in this situation. It’s a man’s game; everything should stay on the pitch, in the shower, and in the locker room. I believe he definitely shouldn’t have done that, as it is a man’s game, and in my opinion, it wasn’t even a foul,” as quoted by Match TV.

After this match, Zenit earned 52 points and occupies the 2nd position in the RPL standings, just one point behind the leading Krasnodar.