A black mark for Zenit's UEFA Cup winners as Rangers pay price of negativity

I agree with your view on the Zenit transfer policy but let's not forget Rangers transfer policy formost of the 20th century!

Patrick, I can't believe you've written an article about racism and the uefa cup final and not mentioned Rangers. Apart from their policy of refusing to sign Catholics, their fans still run through a repertoire of anti-Irish songs at every match. This racism is at the heart of the hooliganism that followed the uefa cup final, which you also failed to mention. Bravo!

Supporting Milan though?, you know the ones who are so snow white when it comes to a little backhander here and there, hypocritical or do you just select which crime is or isnt acceptable?. Advocaat, merely said what was fair to the PLAYER, not expressing an opinion as to the rights and wrongs, and that was the PLAYER would endure a torrid time there because of the fans attitude towards players of a different skin, as opposed to Moscow where its not a problem!

Henry Cope, I think there is a difference between racist fans and racism in a club. While i hate to see racism anywhere, i feel its much more important to ensure clubs set an example for their fans. Essexian, I know you don't like me and I assume your refering to Calciopoli. Milan have paid the price for that, I hope Zenit pay the price for their crimes

Having listitend to the fans to do what you say is correct, butt when are the fans going to listen what you have to say, if they really care about there team lett them just accept anyone, because its not the colour that plays the ball butt the player its self! soccer is the very best sport on this planet, its brings people together, if the fans realy love soccer and their team THEY must love anyone that plays it and dont look at the colour butt at the Quality of the player

Henry and Richie, it's been 20 years since Mo Johnson signed for Rangers, when will you finally accept there is no 'policy', and you think we live in the past? Rangers fans were guilty of many things on Wednesday however racism is not one of them and your assertion says more about your prejudices than it does about mine. The article is about Zenit and intolerance in modern Russia, it is pertinent, informative and timely yet you ignore it so you can make some cheap and inaccurate digs at Rangers. Go have a look in the mirror guys. Good article.

Moses, every Rangers game this season has featured thousands of their fans singing 'The [Irish] famine is over, why don't you go home?'. Their fans routinely boo Irish players like Noel Hunt of Dundee United and even Scottish players who play for Ireland like Aiden McGeady. This is racism.

i wrote this article straight after the final, before thepost-match violence had come to light. i have written some stuff about it on my blog. I also want to again underline that while some rangers fans are still racist the club has come in leaps and bounds in promoting tolerance and hopefully the generation of fans filtering through will follow the clubs example. Anyway, i think its good football provides a forum for these discussions

Sorry Henry I heard that chant for the first time about 2 months ago and it is purely and simply aimed at Celtic fans who wear Irish strips, wave Irish flags, flaunt thier 'Irishness' and sing about the Irish famine like it happened yesterday. Racism? - get real. And you really don't want to open the racism can of worms? We both know what happened when Mark Walters made his first appearance at Parkhead. Noel Hunt is booed by every teams fans, he is an annoying, persistent, complaining and frustratingly effective forward, the type you hate when he plays against you and love if he plays for you, he could come from the moon and he would get booed. Nacho Novo gets far worse from opposing fans, are they anti-Spanish? Pat Bonner played for Celtic for a long time and I don't remember one instance of him being subject to anymore abuse than anyone else and certainly nothing like your current goalie, but don't tell me that's because we're anti-Polish no doubt! On McGeady, tell me if he'd chosen to play for England do you think he'd still get booed?

Moses Congratulations for arguing your point in an intelligent manner but the song why dont you go home may not be aimed in a racist manner but it does have racist connotations. Surely an intelligent man like yourself can see how this song damages your club? Ps why shouldnt they flaunt their Irishness? Why should any immigrant not flaunt their heritage?