UEFA's decision on penalty against Russian team overly tough

RFS President Sergei Fursenko told a news conference here Thursday the RFS has received only an information letter so far and the appeal will be filed after it gets a full package of documents.

"We still have time to get ready for it," he said.

Fursenko has the apprehensions that UEFA's decision, which he called too tough and half-baked, may open the doors to dangerous precedents

"The disciplinary committee took the decision upon examining a videotape that featured the beating of a steward and with account of further remarks by the fans," he said.

"On the one hand, the decision is quite tough but, on the other, it is half-baked," Fursenko said. "We've already encountered rulings of this kind when fans threw bananas at dark-skinned footballers. It's very difficult to accept such rulings because the fans of one of the teams can get to the stands occupied by supporters of the opposing team and just throw a banana for attaining a disqualification of the opponents."

"The situation is very much the same in this case, too, and we'll appeal because we believe it'll be too easy for our opponents to transfer a suspended punishment into a full-blown one," Fursenko said.

"Disciplinary bodies don't report to the UEFA officials, and there's no sense speaking to our counterparts about this because appropriate procedures exist," he said.

In addition to the deduction of points, the RFS will face the prospect of paying a fine of 120,000 euro should the Russian fans 'misbehave' again.

"The Russian Football Union is entitled to prepare and submit a written appeal against Uefa's decision and this will be done within the allotted time for this procedure," it said in a statement on its website Thursday. "The federation will do all it can to ensure the national team avoids such a severe punishment."