FIFA bans Russian fans organiser for social media posts

Russian fans organiser Alexander Shprygin has been banned from football for two years by FIFA for posting far-right content online.

FIFA said its investigation of Shprygin related to “media statements and content published on social media in 2014 and 2015.”

Russian fans organiser Alexander Shprygin has been banned from football for two years by FIFA for posting far-right content online.

FIFA said Friday its ethics committee judges found Shprygin, a former member of the Russian Football Union executive committee, guilty of discrimination. He was fined 10,000 Swiss francs ($10,125).

Shprygin achieved notoriety at the 2016 European Championship in France, and was deported twice after Russia games.

French authorities linked Shprygin to violence in Marseille where Russians attacked England fans in the city and at the stadium.

He returned from Moscow within days and evaded authorities by entering France to visit Toulouse for Russia’s next game against Wales.

FIFA said its investigation of Shprygin related to “media statements and content published on social media in 2014 and 2015.”