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          Emmanuel Frimpong claims racial abuse led to red card in Russia

          • PA Sport
          Jul 17, 2015, 05:09 PM ET

          Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong has claimed he was racially abused before being sent off on the opening night of the Russian Premier League season.

          The 23-year-old was playing for Ufa at Spartak Moscow when he saw red, seeming to make an obscene gesture at supporters.

          He said after, though, that he had been reacting to provocation from a home fan.

          Writing on Twitter, he said: "First of want to apologize for the sending off after being provoked shouldn't have happened but also am a human being shouldn't be racially abused for the game that I love.

          "Fantastic result to draw with Spartak proud of team and I'm going to serve a sentence for being abused.. and yet we going to hold a World Cup in this country where African will have to come play football.

          "I must stressed not all Spartak fans done that only one person had to ruin it Spartak fans were brilliant and created a good atmosphere, shame one person ruin it, we live on."

          The capital club twice had to come from behind, Haris Handzic giving the visitors a 13th-minute lead.

          Serdar Tasci levelled in the 25th minute and things got even worse for Ufa when Frimpong was sent off seven minutes later.

          Dmitriy Stotskiy put the 10 men ahead in the 68th minute, though, only for Ze Luis, on as a 64th-minute substitute, to make it 2-2 10 minutes from time.