Zenit’s top striker ‘zapped’ by police

Russian football was hit by scandal yesterday after defending champions Zenit Saint Petersburg accused a riot policeman of zapping their top striker with a stun gun during an away match.

The Premier League’s leading scorer Danko Lazovic – a member of the Serbian national team who has netted nine goals in 14 games – approached travelling supporters following his team’s 2-0 away win Saturday at Volga Nizhny Novgorod.

Television footage showed an elated Lazovic tossing his shirt to boisterous Zenit supporters and then being approached by a riot policeman who was on the touchline to help restore order between rival groups of fans.

Zenit claims that Lazovic was then zapped by a stun gun – a charge denied both by local police authorities and the Volga club.

Footage showed Lazovic rubbing his side as he walked away from the fans.

“FC Zenit intends to file a statement with the prosecutor’s office concerning the severe treatment of its players and fans,” the club said in a statement.

It added that it would also be sending additional video material to the interior ministry and Russia’s Football Union.

Security at Russian football matches has come under growing scrutiny after the country won the right to host the 2018 World Cup.

Russia’s top sides are often followed by groups of neo-Nazi supporters and mass arrests are a common weekend football occurrence.

A huge riot erupted outside the Kremlin in December after a Muslim suspect shot dead a Spartak Moscow supporter during a late-night altercation.

The government has since vowed to crack down on racism in football and Russian society as a whole.