Eduard Spertsyan broke his teeth but may face a 10-match ban

Krasnodar captain and Armenia national team leader Eduard Spertsyan may be suspended for up to 10 matches if the Russian Football Union’s Disciplinary Committee proves that he made a racist remark towards Akhmat defender Ousmane Ndong. This was reported by lawyer Anton Prokopets on “Match TV.” If given the maximum punishment, Spertsyan would be banned until the end of March 2026.

The incident occurred during the 11th round of the Russian Premier League match between Krasnodar and Akhmat (2–0). In the 85th minute, Ousmane Ndong was shown a straight red card for punching Spertsyan in the jaw. After the match, the Senegalese defender claimed that the Armenian midfielder insulted him on racial grounds, calling him “black shit” in Portuguese.

The 26-year-old Ndong joined the Russian league this summer from Iran.
Akhmat issued an official statement expressing full support for their player:

“No to racism! We support Ousmane Ndong, who was subjected to a racial insult. We trust our player, a God-fearing, decent, and kind person, and we condemn all forms of racism,” the Grozny club’s statement said.

Spertsyan categorically denied the accusations, stating that it was Ndong who provoked the conflict and started the insults.

“That’s not true. He was provoking me the whole game. First, he insulted me in Spanish, and I replied ‘Cala boca,’ which just means ‘shut up.’ How could I have said what he accuses me of? All the players nearby heard everything,” said Krasnodar’s captain.

The Armenian also revealed that he was injured in the incident:

“He broke several of my upper teeth. Now I’ll need treatment, and it’s expensive. I think he should apologize first — he hurt his team by getting sent off and is now trying to make up a story.”

The RFU Disciplinary Committee is reviewing the case and has requested video footage, match reports, and statements from both sides. A decision is expected in the coming days.

After the match against Akhmat, Spertsyan will join the Armenian national team for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Hungary and Ireland.

UPDATE: Krasnodar players support Eduard Spertsyan: “Cap, I’m with you”