Spartak spark racism storm with offensive tweet

Moscow, January 13: Russian Premier League side Spartak Moscow have caused controversy by posting a racially insensitive tweet from their warm weather training camp.

A video uploaded to the club's Twitter page that appeared to show Pedro Rocha, Fernando and Luiz Adriano performing stretching exercises in Dubai was captioned: "See how chocolate melt [sic] in the sun".

Rocha, Fernando and Luiz Adriano are all black.

It is not the first time this season Spartak have found themselves at the centre of racism claims.

Смотрите, как шоколадки тают на солнце 😄😄😄☀️🍫🍫🍫 #Джикия #Дубай #сбор #спартаквОАЭ #краснобелые #Спартак pic.twitter.com/EUvYRp0H8T

— FC Spartak Moscow (@fcsm_official) January 13, 2018

Leonid Mironov, the club's youth-team captain, was last month charged with racist behaviour towards Liverpool's Rhian Brewster during a UEFA Youth League match.

The 19-year-old faces a minimum ban of 10 matches if found guilty by European football's governing body.

After the initial game between the sides in Moscow this season, Liverpool made a complaint after Brewster's team-mate Bobby Adekanye was racially abused by fans.

Source: OPTA