NYON, Switzerland — Big-spending Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala has criticized UEFA after the governing body judged the team's Dagestan province home unsafe for Europa League matches.
Anzhi entered UEFA’s competition by
finishing fifth in the Russian league last season, after signing Samuel
Eto’o and Roberto Carlos, and hiring Guus Hiddink as coach.
It
must find another Russian stadium to host a second qualifying round
match on July 19 against Flamurtari Vlore of Albania or Honved of
Hungary.
Anzhi says UEFA’s executive committee decision
“contradict(s) the values claimed by UEFA.” It was reached without
talking to the club or visiting “to verify whether it’s possible or not
to hold matches in a city.”
An Islamic insurgency in the North Caucasus region means the team trains near Moscow and flies to Makhachkala for home games.
