Spertsyan excluded from the “Gentleman of the Year” award shortlist after scandal

The organizing committee of the annual “Football Gentleman of the Year” award announced that FC Krasnodar midfielder Eduard Spertsyan has been excluded from the list of nominees. The decision follows a high-profile scandal related to accusations that the player used racist language during a Russian Premier League match.

According to Komsomolskaya Pravda, representatives of the award stated that “under the current circumstances—after the Russian Football Union’s Disciplinary Committee decided to fine the player and considering the strong public reaction—Spertsyan’s participation contradicts the spirit of the award.”

The conflict between Spertsyan and Ndong has been officially resolved, according to the RFU disciplinary committee.

The scandal erupted after an incident in the match between Krasnodar and Akhmat, when Grozny defender Usman Ndong was sent off for hitting Spertsyan. Later, the Akhmat player claimed that his opponent provoked him with racist remarks. The RFU disciplinary committee reviewed the episode, suspending Ndong for two matches (one suspended) and fining Spertsyan 150,000 rubles for insulting an opponent.

After the Armenian midfielder’s exclusion from the shortlist, the final trio now includes Krasnodar goalkeeper Stanislav Agkatsev, Dynamo Makhachkala forward Gamid Agalarov, and Zenit midfielder Andrey Mostovoy, who was previously fined by the ethics committee for a vulgar chant aimed at Spartak.

Thus, Zenit player Andrey Mostovoy—who was fined 75,000 rubles by the RFU ethics committee this summer for an offensive chant about Spartak—may now be named “Gentleman of the Year,” while the cleared Spertsyan cannot.

The “Gentleman of the Year” award was established by Komsomolskaya Pravda in 1994 and is named after the legendary Spartak Moscow midfielder Fyodor Cherenkov. It is traditionally given to a footballer who demonstrates sportsmanship, respect for opponents, and high moral conduct.

The organizing committee expressed regret over the situation, emphasizing that “Spertsyan’s exclusion does not question his professional skills or talent, but the award requires compliance with the high moral standards set over decades of its history.”