The general director of Makhachkala Dynamo, Shamil Gazizov, has strongly criticized the officiating in his team’s 29th-round Russian Premier League match against Akhmat, describing it as “terrible.” His comments came after a 1-1 draw in Grozny, where referee Sergei Ivanov was in charge.
At the 34th minute, Akhmat defender Usman Ndong jumped into an opponent inside the box and struck the visiting player in the face with his fist. The referee did not call a foul, and despite a VAR check, the decision was not overturned.
“Unfortunately, our performance wasn’t flawless. I’d rather not talk about the refereeing, but it was terrible. We will appeal to the Expert Referee Commission regarding the penalty. There were also many situations where the referee didn’t issue yellow cards,” Gazizov said.
When asked about Dynamo’s missed chances to score a second goal, he added: “When you’re fighting for survival, psychology kicks in, and you inevitably drop deeper. Now, unfortunately, not everything in the table depends on us.”
Makhachkala Dynamo currently sit in 14th place with 25 points. They are guaranteed at least a relegation play-off spot but have not yet secured safety from direct relegation. Direct relegation zone side Pari Nizhny Novgorod have 22 points with a game in hand.
In the final round of the championship on May 17, Makhachkala Dynamo will face Rostov away.