Zenit's Malafeev Wins Slander Case

© RIA Novosti . Alexandr Vilf / Go to the mediabankVyacheslav Malafeev
Vyacheslav Malafeev - Sputnik International
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One of the most notorious slander cases in Russian football reached a conclusion on Tuesday, with the country's top sports commentator ordered to pay damages to Zenit St. Petersburg goalkeeper Vyacheslav Malafeev.

One of the most notorious slander cases in Russian football reached a conclusion on Tuesday, with the country's top sports commentator ordered to pay damages to Zenit St. Petersburg goalkeeper Vyacheslav Malafeev.

Dmitry Guberniev, who calls games for state broadcaster Rossiya-2, claimed Malafeev's wife was being pursued by police before a fatal car crash in March 2011.

He also implied Malafeev was a poor alternative to be the national team goalkeeper when then-No. 1 choice Igor Akinfeev got injured.

A court outside Moscow ordered Guberniev, 38, to pay $2,500 in total damages, a spokesman told RIA Novosti. Guberniev, a former rower, denies wrongdoing and vowed to appeal.

Guberniev made the comments in August 2011 during a match in which CSKA Moscow's Akinfeev hurt his knee, and although they were not broadcast over the airwaves due to a commercial break, they were audible to Internet viewers.

A lawyer for Malafeev said he had sought $50,000 in damages but was satisfied with the outcome nonetheless.

Guberniev, who was temporarily suspended from football commentary over the controversy, was also told to make a public retraction of both claims.

He had previously expressed regret for the use of "idiomatic expressions" - a euphemism for swearing on air - but stopped short of apologizing to Malafeev.

 

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