Dinamo Moscow defender Christopher Samba has been banned for two matches by the Russian Football Union (RFU) after responding to racist abuse in a match against Torpedo Moscow.
Samba, 30, stuck his middle finger up to Torpedo fans on Sept. 22 before being substituted at half-time.
The RFU has said the former Queens Park Rangers and Blackburn centre-back's actions were an "unpleasant gesture" and that it had little option but to ban him.
"We took into account what happened on the pitch and that he was provoked. Therefore we decided to give the lightest possible punishment,'' Artur Grigoryants, the head of the RFU disciplinary committee, said.
Samba has since apologised for his actions, but is quoted by the Daily Mail as saying: "I want to play football and not have to listen to racial taunts.''
Torpedo will also have part of their ground closed for their next match as punishment for the abuse.
Samba was abused during his first spell in Russia when a banana was thrown at him at Lokomotiv Moscow's stadium while playing for Anzhi Makhachkala.
