Zenit St. Petersburg will not investigate allegations of bribery made against them by former defender Erik Hagen, but the Russian Football Union plans to look into the matter.
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caption:Erik Hagen has made a number of allegations of bribery against Zenit.
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Hagen, who played for the club between 2005 and 2008, told newspaper Verders Gang that a number of domestic matches were “agreed in advance” as well as a UEFA Cup match.
However, Zenit’s general director Maksim Mitrofanov has shrugged off the accusation, but insisted the club would be willing to cooperate if UEFA decided to look into the matter further.
He is quoted by Inside World Football as saying: "I do not see a reason to open an investigation into this case. If UEFA decided to carry one out, our club will do everything to help them, by giving them all the documents they request."
Russian FA spokesman Yury Zhmurko said it plans to discuss the allegations with UEFA.
"The Russian Football Union will consult with UEFA concerning the statement by Erik Hagen because this alleged incident is part of their jurisdiction. If the Russian Football Union receives any solid information then we also may become involved."
Meanwhile, Vlastimil Petrzela, Zenit coach between 2002 and 2006 and the man who bought Hagen to the club, said he was surprised by the Norwegian’s revelations.
"I do not know why Hagen has made such a statement," he said. "I remember that game really well. It was a tough outing against a strong team. If you remember, the referee sent-off Vladislav Radimov in the game. I will repeat again, there is no way that the players collected money to bribe the referee."